Lectures in pastoral theology

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SEP 23 1918

BV 4017 .G467
George, R. j. 1844-1911
Lectures in pastoral
t heo logy

LECTURES IN
PASTORAL THEOLOGY

SEP 23 1918
R. J. Jeorge ^^LOSICAlSlj^

PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY AND CHURCH HISTORY IN THE
COVENANTER SEMINARY, ALLEGHENY, PA., 1892-I9IO

SECOND SERIES
PASTOR AND PEOPLE

WITH AN INTRODUCTION

By rev. prof. D. B. WILLSON, D.D.

NEW YORK

CHRISTIAN NATION PUBLISHING CO.

1914

TO
WILLIAM SLATER

FOREWORD

Rev. W. McLeod George, the writer of the Foreword

for the First Series of these Lectures, passed away on
the 2pth of September, ipi2.

In writing this Foreword, it is with the memory of
many years as an associate of the author — in the days
of his student life in the Seminary, and also during the
period of his professorship here.

Many fresh from University studies, take chairs as
teachers of the on-coming ministry, and knowing
naught of the joys and sorrows of Pastoral Care. This
teacher had served many years as a pastor, and had
gathered to himself the love of an attached people. He
was an under-shepherd of the Great Shepherd of the
sheep. He was a faithful shepherd; and these Lec-
tures enter into the details of a pastor's life in a way
that cannot but be helpful to pastors and people.

D. B. WiLLSON.

Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary,
Pittsburgh, Pa.

CONTENTS

PART I — THE PASTOR AND THE CONGREGATION

LECTURE ^^^^

I Organizing for Work i

n Organizing for Work (Continued) .... 9

HI Getting the People to Work I7

IV The Prayer- meeting 28

V The Prayer- meeting — Helps and Hindr.\nces 40
VI The Relation of the Sabbath School to the

Church 53

VII The Relation of the Pastor to the Sabbath

School 63

VIII The Pastor and the Teachers' Normal Class 71

IX The Pastor and the Teachers' Meeting . . 82

X The jManagement of the Sabbath School . . 93

XI The Graded System 106

XII The Home Department 115

XIII Young People's Societies 124

XIV The Pastor and the Young People's Society 13S
XV The Pastor and the Missionary Societies . 146

PART II — THE PASTOR AND THE CHURCH
COURTS

XVI The Pastor in the Session I57

XVII The Reception of :Members 165

XVIII The Election of Officers I74

XIX The Ordination and Installation of Officers 181

CONTENTS

LECTURE PAGE

XX The ExERasE of Discipune 189

XXI Instituting Process 200

XXII Conducting a Trial 210

XXIII Issuing a Case 219

XXIV Removal of a Case to a Higher Court . . . 229
XXV The Pastor in the Higher Courts of the

Church 239

PART I

THE PASTOR

IN RELATION TO THE ACTIVITIES

OF THE CONGREGATION

SECOND SERIES

LECTURE I

ORGANIZING FOR WORK

The general subject of the course of lectures in
Pastoral Theology the present year will be: The
Pastor in Relation to the Activities of the Church.

A congregation is to be viewed as a band of work-
ers in the Lord's vineyard with the pastor at the head.
In the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God, the pastor
is to be not only a builder, but a wise Master-Builder
whose business it is to lay out the work and direct
the efforts of the workmen. *Tor the Son of Man is
as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and
gave authority to his servants, and to every man
his work, and commanded the porter to watch."
(Mark xiii, 34.) There is a vast amount of unused
moral power in the church to-day, and the minister
who can call out this latent talent and direct it into
channels of useful service confers an immense bless-
ing on the workers and gives a mighty impulse to the
work.

"All at it, and always at it" is a good motto for
pastor and people.

I

The Advantages of Having a Congregation Well Or-
ganized for Work.

I. It adds the strength of the people to that of

the pastor.
Dr. Thomas Guthrie said, that, as he looked over

I

2 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

his congregation, three solemn thoughts passed
through his mind: ''first, What a great variety of
spiritual needs these people have; second, What
solemn changes a few years will make among them ;
third, What vast resources of power and possibilities
for usefulness are here ! "

Young gentlemen, however gifted one may be as a
preacher, he is not successful as a pastor unless he
can arouse this moral force to action, and direct it to
systematic effort in upbuilding the Kingdom of God.
He is not a great general who is merely a skillful
swordsman. He must have ability to organize an
army, to direct the movements of battalions, and
brigades, and regiments; to command the ready
obedience of all his under officers, and to inspire the
rank and file of his soldiery with enthusiasm, courage,
and devotion.

The pastoral office demands the faculty of leader-
ship. No amount of personal effort will make up
for the lack of ability to organize a working force;
and a ministry, otherwise weak, may become powerful
by being able to command the strength of the people.

Dr. Wilcox, in The Pastor and His Flock, says:
"There is some danger that you young theologues
may, yourselves, underrate the importance of setting
your people at work. You may feel strong and able
to carry things along, whether your people bestir
themselves or not. You have little idea of the folly
of that. Did you ever put a bright reflector behind
a gas burner? Did you notice how it doubled the
light? Your people are the reflector behind you.
Lives from them that harmonize with words from
you will double the power of the words. It is a good
rule in church work to do nothing yourself, that you
can get some one else to do well."

2. Christian work develops the talents and in-
creases the graces of the people.

ORGANIZING FOR WORK 3

The Pastor who does all the work himself wrongs
the flock. He deprives them of one of the highest
privileges of the gospel, vis, the privilege of service.
Talents increase by use. Grace grows by exercise.
It is perilous to the soul to be awakened to a sense of
duty and then fail to perform it. *'Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do?" is the natural inquiry of a new-
born soul ; and woe to the pastor who has no reply
to give ! Experience shows that the workers are the
growing members of a congregation, and that the
drones die.

3. Work promotes the peace of a congregation.

An elder, being asked the secret of the long-con-
tinued peace of his congregation, answered: ''Our
Pastor has kept us so busy working that we have had
no time to fight." That is the true Christian philos-
ophy. 'Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the
lusts of the flesh." Keep the people walking or they
will fall to lusting.

It is unnecessary to speak further of the advantages
of organization. Enough has been said to show, that,
to be good pastors, you must be good organizers.
Some have much more of the faculty than others.
The more you have of it, the more encouragement you
have to exercise it; and the less you have of it, the
more you need to cultivate what you have.

Granting the necessity for organization, how shall
the pastor proceed? To a certain extent, the congre-
gation is organized when the pastor is placed over
it : it has its Board of Elders ; and should have its
Board of Deacons. But there still remains a two-
fold work of organization : viz, organizing the of-
ficers for systematic, official work; and organizing
the people for actual service, under the officers. We
will consider these in their order.

4 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

II

Organizing the Eldership.

Murphy says : "To the Elders of the Church, prop-
erly belongs the management of its spiritual affairs,
but that is not by any means the whole of their duty.
They are also to be leaders in the various activities
for which the united body of God's people is respon-
sible. It is their duty to be the counselors of the
pastor in devising and putting into operation plans
for the better carrying on of the Lord's work. In
the session, properly, should originate efforts — and
some of them should be originating constantly — for in-
citing, and vigorously conducting, the work of the
Church. By the Elders, preeminently, should the
activity be carried forward as well as supervised." If
this is true, and it is true, the pastor's work as an
organizer must begin with the eldership.

I. The pastor should use his influence to secure a
large session.

Of course I mean large in proportion to the size of
the congregation. It is the business of the session to
determine when there shall be an increase of its mem-
bers. There is often a disposition to avoid an elec-
tion of elders, lest the peace of the congregation should
be disturbed. Some pastors prefer to have a small
session, because they think it is easier to control.
This policy is not ordinarily the best. The advan-
tages of a large session are ;

a. It is more representative of the whole con-
gregation.

It often happens that where two or three leading
family connections control the session for generations,
other families remain in obscurity and manifest little
interest in the work of the congregation, because they
have no representative in its counsels. This is a loss
of power.

ORGANIZING FOR WORK 5

b. It gives greater weight to the decisions of the
session.

It is very important that the decisions of a church
court command the confidence and respect of all sub-
ject to its authority. This can hardly be expected
when two or three elders undertake to legislate for a
large congregation.

c. It enlists more minds in planning and more
hands in working.

It is very desirable that plans for church work be
originated and matured in the session. If the session
is feeble and the congregation is strong and vigorous,
it will always be found that the army will outrun
its officers. This inevitably results in confusion. It
is not only in planning but in working that the ad-
vantage is seen. The more you can enlist in formu-
lating the plans, the more will be ready to cooperate
in executing them.

d. It lightens the responsibilities of the pastor.
The pastor who lends his influence to keep the

session small in order that he may be able to control
its decisions, is simply loading himself with respon-
sibility. When everything is running smoothly, this
one-man power may be very convenient; but when
difficulties arise, as in differences of view about church
policy, or unhappy cases of discipline, the pastor may
be glad to share the responsibility with a good strong
board of elders.

If I were asked as to the number of elders desir-
able, I should say, that, there should be three elders
for the first twenty-five members ; and an additional
elder for every twenty-five additional members; so
that, if there were one hundred members, there would
be six elders; if two hundred members, there would
be ten elders; after that, I would add one elder for
every fifty or one hundred members.

6 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

2. The pastor should instruct the elders as to their
duties.

Many unwarranted criticisms are made on the ef-
ficiency of the eldership. Elders undertake grave re-
sponsibilities as members of church courts and as
shepherds of the flock. They are expected to visit the
sick, and to counsel the erring, and to feed the
lambs and to perform many of the most delicate and
difficult duties along with the pastor; and yet they
are thrust into it without previous instruction or train-
ing, w^hile the pastor has spent years in preparation
for his work. It is due them that the pastor
kindly and carefully unfold to them the duties of their
office.

The young minister should be modest about as-
suming to know more about sessional business and
pastoral work, when he is just entering upon it, than
elders who have been in the exercise of their office
for a score of years. They have a better acquaintance
with the field than he has, and possibly a religious
experience deeper than his own. He must not assume
too much superior wisdom or they may reply in the
words of Eliphaz the Temanite: "With us are both
the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than
thy father." (Job xv, lo.) But might it not be a
very helpful thing, when young men are chosen to
the eldership, if the pastor should say to them : "You
have a great many difficult duties in common with
me. We had instruction in the Seminary concerning
our duties as connected with church courts, and with
the Sabbath school and prayer-meeting, as to pas-
toral visitation, visiting the sick and dealing with the
unconverted; and I should be glad to study it over
with you, and to give you the benefit of the sugges-
tions given to me." Such a proposal would find a
ready response and would bring pastor and youthful
elders into very close sympathy in their church work.

ORGANIZING FOR WORK 7

3. There should be regular meetings of session.

It is useless to talk about regular systematic work
without this. In the country congregations quarterly
meetings should be held, and in towns and cities the
meetings should be monthly.

4. The congregation should be districted among
the elders.

a. There may be as many districts as there are
elders.

b. The division may be made geographically or
by families.

c. To promote acquaintance, the elders may ex-
change districts.

5. The district elder should have definite duties.

a. To have personal acquaintance with all the
families in his district.

b. To visit the sick, and report to the session
cases of sickness.

c. To find out those anxious about their souls,
or in danger of temptation, or out of the way.

d. To see that all attend ordinances, prayer-
meeting, Sabbath school, and class meetings.

Some of the young people's societies have Look-out
committees. Some good is done by them, and some
harm, but they cannot take the place of the elders
in the spiritual oversight of the flock.

e. Each district elder should report at each meet-
ing of the session.

6. The session should have some standing commit-
tees.

a. A prayo'^-meeting committee. The duties of
this committee would be: (i) To select
leaders; (2) To select subjects; (3) To ar-
range cottage prayer-meetings; (4) To pro-
mote interest in all prayer-meetings.

b. A committee on Sabbath Schools. The duties
of this committee would be: (i) To plan

8 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

for the growth of the school. Every congre-
gation has some persons who ought to be in
the Sabbath school and are not. Judicious
management would bring in many of them.
(2) To counsel with the superintendent in the
choice of teachers; (3) To assist in grading
the school; (4) To make provision for the
instruction of inquirers,
c. A committee on music, (i) To provide
training in music for the congregation; (2)
To provide Psalm-books or Psalters; (3) To
secure proper leaders.

Ill

The Inspiration to Work.

Spiritual devotion is never hurtful to work, but
work is sometimes hard on spiritual devotion. Too
much engrossing social work throughout the week
may bring the pastor into the pulpit on Sabbath morn-
ing in a doubting, fretful, scolding frame of mind,
than which nothing can be more deadening. Let time
be reserved, after the disheartening labors with human
nature, for intimate communion with the divine na-
ture; and however impossible you have found the
people, come into your pulpit with a full sense of
the truth that with God all things are possible.
Work hard, but be serene in the assurance that the
increase is with God, and bring this mood into your
pulpit every Sabbath morning.

LECTURE II
ORGANIZING FOR WORK (Continued)

There is one department of congregational work
which has not received the consideration which its
importance demands. I mean the financial depart-
ment. Works on Pastoral Theology, as a rule, con-
tain little on this subject. It is only in recent years
that Church courts have given it attention. The con-
sequence is that congregational church work has de-
clined for lack of financial support ; suitable provision
is not made for pastors, and the salary promised is
often far in arrears ; while the public schemes of the
church languish for the lack of means. In the mean-
time, God's people grow fat of purse and lean of soul.
The Scriptures declare (Prov. xi, 25) : "The liberal
soul shall be made fat;" and Paul exhorts: 'There-
fore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utter-
ance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your
love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also."
(2 Cor. viii, 7.)

Following in the line of the last lecture I announce
as the Fourth General Point:

IV

Organizing a Financial Board.

I. The elders, in ordinary cases, should not be the
financial managers of the congregation,
a. Because the qualifications for the two offices
are entirely distinct.
A man may be an excellent elder, and yet be worse
than useless as a financial officer.

9

10 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

b. The duties of the two offices are liable to con-
flict.

No argument is necessary to show that it would
be unwise for the pastor to involve himself in the
financial management of the congregation, because
it would interfere with the discharge of his pastoral
duties. With the exception of the pastor's salary,
the same principles apply to the eldership.

c. Either office is enough for one man.

The men who fill offices in the Church are usually
busy men. They serve without compensation and
are compelled to give most of their attention to their
worldly affairs. It is therefore unwise to ask one
man to fill two offices, of such importance and so en-
tirely distinct.

d. The work should be distributed.

This is according to the Gospel. "Bear ye one an-
other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ," (Gal.
vi, 2.) 'Tor I mean not that other men be eased,
and ye burdened." (2 Cor. viii, 13.) Both the la-
bors and the honors in a congregation should be dis-
tributed.

2. If possible, have a Board of Deacons.

I say "if possible," because there are some things
that are not possible with men ; and one of these may
be the securing of a Board of Deacons in an anti-
deacon congregation. One of our ministers of mas-
terly ability once declared to me, "I zmll have them."
But he did not "have them." For while he was able
to press the congregation to the point of electing them,
when the persons chosen absolutely refused to serve,
he was powerless. I do not advise disturbing the
peace of a congregation on this subject, but there
are good reasons why a pastor should labor to this
end.

a. Because this is a Scriptural oflfice.

The New Testament designates this office as in-

ORGANIZING FOR WORK ii

stituted in the Apostolic Church; it prescribes the
quahfications for the office ; it prescribes the manner
of induction into the office; it defines the duties be-
longing to the office; and gives the example of the
choice and ordination of the first deacons. Acts vi,
1-8; I Tim. iii, 8-13.

b. It is in accordance with the standards of our
Church.

"The Scripture doth hold out deacons as distinct
officers in the Church, whose office is perpetual."
{Book of Discipline, page 24.) The controversy in
our Church on the Deacon question was not so much
on the Scripturalness of the office as on the extent
of its powers.

3. Endeavor to have the Board of Deacons thor-
oughly organized.

The relation of the pastor to the Board of Deacons
is not by any means the same as his relation to the
session. By virtue of his office as pastor, he is mod-
erator of the session, but he is not even a member
of the Board of Deacons.

a. The Board of Deacons is a self-organizing
body. It chooses its own officers, usually
electing them annually.

b. The regular officers are: President, Vice-
President, Secretary and Treasurer.

In some congregations, the congregation elects a
treasurer who may or may not be a member of the
Board of Deacons. When this is done, the Board of
Deacons need not elect a treasurer.

c. There should be one standing committee, i. e.,
on the care of the poor.

"The poor ye have always with you," says Christ.
There are few congregations that have no poor. The
first demand for deacons was to take care of the
poor, and it is one of the most sacred duties of their
office.

12 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

Special committees may be appointed as required.

4. Seek to have a well-planned financial system.
There are various systems of finance in use in the
Church. One method is to depend entirely upon the
voluntary offerings of the people, with no subscrip-
tions binding to any definite amount, and no account
taken of individual contributions. Another method is
by subscriptions made annually and paid at stated
times — weekly, monthly, or quarterly. A third
method is by subscriptions made in advance and pay-
ment made by envelope. A fourth method is by vol-
untary contributions through the envelope, accom-
panied with the name of the donor, and credit on the
treasurer's book, with a quarterly, semi-annual or an-
nual report of the amount given by each one. Per-
haps no one system is suited to every locaHty. A
system in order to be good must possess the follow-
ing requisites:

a. It should secure the equalization of burdens.
No system is good which allows half the congre-
gation to shirk paying.

b. It should secure the prompt payment of the
pastor's salary, and other current expenses.

Many congregations permit their pastor's salary to
fall far in arrears. It is a species of dishonesty. It
often works great hardship to the minister and injury
to the people. I remember to have seen a suggestive
picture in a barber-shop. It was of a dead watch-
dog. Its legend ran — "Old Trust is dead : poor pay
killed him." It would make a not inappropriate epi-
taph over the graves of some faithful pastors.

c. It should secure the full support of the Pub-
lic Schemes of the Church.

When appropriations are made by the Supreme Ju-
dicatory for the carrying forward of the Church's
public work, they constitute a moral obligation, bind-
ing upon the congregations. Any financial scheme

ORGANIZING FOR WORK 13

which fails to provide for the meeting of this obliga-
tion is fatally defective.

d. There should be business-like methods of
keeping accounts.

Great harm is done by carelessness in this par-
ticular. It is important, in forming a financial sys-
tem, to avoid unnecessary burdens in the way of book-
keeping, on an unsalaried treasurer; but whatever the
system the bookkeeping should be accurate and busi-
ness-like.

e. It should furnish to the people full informa-
tion as to the use made of their money.

There is a reasonable demand on the part of the
people to know what is done with their offerings, and
money should follow the will of the donors. Strenu-
ous opposition is sometimes made to the publishing
of reports of the contributions by individual mem-
bers, on the ground that it is contrary to the Saviour's
command: "Let not thy left hand know what thy
right hand doeth." I knew such a case where a
prominent elder withheld his contributions altogether
on this plea. A brother elder in explaining this el-
der's opposition to the publishing of the quarterly
reports, said : "Mr. Blank does not want to let his
left hand know that his right hand is not doing any-
thing." After all, this is the secret of much of the
opposition to a public exhibit of the finances of a
congregation.

Finally, give liberally yourself, and make the people
give. It is their life. Murphy, in his "Pastoral The-
ology," says : "A great problem of practical impor-
tance which in every quarter now presses for solution
is, how the liberality of Christians may be brought
up to anything like its capabilities or to the crying
demands of the perishing millions. Unbounded
means are in the hands of the people of God. Vastly
more of them could be expended in a most advan-

14 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

tageous manner. The need for them which is de-
veloped in almost every department of Christian en-
terprise is appalling. How then can the consciences
of the professed people of God be so aroused that
they will look upon the matter as pressing upon them,
and feel their responsibility as they ought? How
can they be persuaded to believe God fully when he
commands, ''Give and it shall be given unto you ; good
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and run-
ning over shall men give unto your bosom. For with
the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be
measured to you again !"

V

Organising the Congregation.

1. The congregation may be incorporated.

It is the judgment of many that all our congre-
gations should be incorporated. It is thought to give
greater security in holding their property ; where this
is done the charter must, of course, conform to the
laws of the commonwealth ; and the congregation must
strictly observe the terms of its charter. This usually
prescribes the number of its financial officers and the
manner of calling meetings for the transaction of
legal business.

2. Great care should be taken in framing a charter
to secure the property to the Reformed Presby-
terian Church.

See the form of Charter of the Reformed Presby-
terian Congregation of Eighth Street, Pittsburgh,
as published in their memorial volume of 1891.

3. Whether incorporated or not, the congregation
as such should be organized.

Presbyterianism vests the spiritual control of a con-

ORGANIZING FOR WORK 15

gregation in the session, and commits the manage-
ment of its financial affairs to an ordained Board of
Deacons. These officers in the discharge of their
duties, are subject to the courts of the Lord's House.
Nevertheless they are the servants of the people, and
it is eminently proper that they should statedly re-
port to the congregation concerning the work en-
trusted to them. Besides, there are questions affect-
ing the interests of the congregation which do not
properly belong to any of the official boards, or, at
least, on which the voice of the people should be heard.

4. The officers of the congregation should be
president and secretary.

These are all the officers really necessary to the
transaction of business ; other officers may be made
necessary by circumstances, or by the terms of the
charter. For instance, a Board of Trustees may be
required in order to hold the property.

5. The congregation should hold a regular annual
meeting.

The business of this meeting should be:

a. To hear a report by the session on the state
of religion in the congregation.

This should be prepared with great care and with
strict regard to the facts ; with close appeal to the con-
sciences of the people; dealing faithfully with their
failings and short-comings, and making full recogni-
tion of their progress and attainments.

b. A report from the Financial Board.

It is of the utmost importance that the people be
kept in closest sympathy with the financial manage-
ment. There can be no success in this line without
the fullest confidence and heartiest cooperation. And
this cannot be expected unless the congregation is
taken confidentially into the plans of the financial
board.

c. Reports from all the congregational societies.

i6 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

It is desirable that all the organizations of the con-
gregation be permeated by a common church life. To
this end there should be annual reports of the work
of each : the Sabbath schools, the missionary socie-
ties, the young people's societies, should all be repre-
sented. The reports should be written and preserved,
and thus the materials for a complete history of the
activities of the congregation would be provided for
future use.

d. Transaction of congregational business.

It has already been intimated that the congregation
may have business peculiar to itself, which does not
legitimately belong to any of the official boards; and
any or all of the reports may originate business call-
ing for the action of the congregation.

e. The cultivation of christian fellowship.

Dr. Wilcox suggests, 'Tn announcing this meeting
call special attention to it as one of the events in the
round of the year. Let the roll of members be called.
Let each one answer to his name with a text of the
bible or a christian sentiment. Let a simple collation
be served to promote familiar acquaintance among the
members."

Gentlemen: I am persuaded that what is now a
mere formality, if not a drag, can be made a means of
arousing new interest in congregational life and work.
Still, it has always been a problem in Church life,
how to get the members to attend the congregational
meetings. One of our ministers, supplying a vacant
congregation, was asked to announce the annual meet-
ing and urge the members to attend. After reading
the notice, he proceeded in this wise: "When our
Lord sent two of His disciples to bring the colt on
which He rode into Jerusalem, He instructed them to
say, 'The Lord hath need of him.' Now," said the
minister, "if the Lord had need of an ass, He has
need of you.'"

LECTURE III
GETTING THE PEOPLE AT WORK

It is one thing to set up a machine; it is another
thing to set it going. I have already spoken of the
official organization of a congregation: its Board of
Elders, its Board of Deacons, and its corporate of-
ficers. You will soon discover among the people a
strong disposition to leave the whole work of the
Church in the hands of its officers. It requires judi-
cious and persevering effort on the part of the pastor
to counteract this tendency and enlist the united ef-
forts of the people.

Nor should you become too much cast down that
among the older members there are many drones,
. . . some who consider it sufficient if they come to
the crib regularly to feed. The reproach of their lives
lies not with you. It is your duty to feed them, and
you may congratulate yourself if you are always ready
and able to do them this service.

But miss no chance of putting the ready hands to
work.

There is a time in the life of every Christian when
he is ready to be trained for work in the Master's
vineyard. This time comes, usually, soon after con-
version, immediately upon joining the church, or on
the occasion of a certain definite spiritual experience.
Be on the alert for these opportunities and concentrate
your effort upon the training of such a member at
the psychological moment. It is like breaking a colt:
to be well done, it must be done at the right time.

The secret of success in rebuilding the walls of
Jerusalem is given in a single sentence, when it is

17

i8 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

said: 'Tor the people had a mind to work." (Neh.
iv, 6.) How to secure this happy result is one of the
most important and difficult problems in pastoral ex-
perience. What is the pastor's duty in this respect?

The Pastor Must Persistently Teach the People as
to Their Personal Responsibility.

1. There is need for instruction on this point.
All admit that there is a great work before the

Church, but few feel their personal responsibility for
the doing of it. Men seek to lose themselves in the
crowd as the woman did who came in the throng
behind Jesus and touched the hem of His garment.
The pastor must individualize them, as Jesus did when
He turned about in the press and said: ''Somebody
hath touched me."

2. This teaching must be persistent.

Murphy says : "The pastor should endeavor to fix
it upon every conscience, that none are so obscure that
they may safely hide, and none so weak but there is
something within their reach : that all are positively
guilty who are not contributing their share to swell
the vast volume of influence which is ultimately to
sweep over the whole earth for its regeneration. This
doctrine of every person having his own work to do
should be laid down squarely, and never receded from,
never omitted when there is an opportunity of press-
ing it home, from pulpit, or prayer-meeting, or pas-
toral visit."

3. This teaching should be enforced by the author-
ity of Scripture.

Paul represents the Church as a body composed of
many members, each having its own particular office
and all of them essential to the perfection of the body.

GETTING THE PEOPLE AT WORK 19

"For the body," says he, *'is not one member, but
many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the
hand, I am not of the body ; is it therefore not of the
body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not
the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of
the body? If the whole body were an eye, where
were the hearing? If the w^hole were hearing, where
were the smelling? But now hath God set the mem-
bers, ez'ery one of them, in the body as it hath pleased
him. . . . And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I
have no need of thee : nor again the head to the feet,
I have no need of you. . . . Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular." (i Cor. xii,

14-27.)

With this graphic picture from the pen of an in-
spired Apostle before him, the pastor need not hesi-
tate to enforce upon his people a sense of personal
responsibility.

II

In Receiving Members info the Church the Pastor
Should Emphasize the Fact that They are to he
Workers.

1. Because the impression made at such a time
will have much to do in determining their future
course.

Uniting with the Church is an epoch in the life of
the young Christian. It is of much importance that
he should have correct ideas of the duties involved in
this new relationship. He should know that the
Church is not a hospital, but a hive; that he is not
entering a summer hotel, but a workshop ; that he is
not joining a pleasure excursion party, but that he is
enlisting in an army and entering upon a campaign.

2. Because it is easy to be mistaken on this point.

20 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

So much is said of the blessedness to be received
in joining the Church, that persons are sometimes led
to think that it is all receiving and no giving. This
is very agreeable to our natural dispositions. Dr.
Wilcox remarks: 'Tt is so pleasant to settle into a
well-cushioned pew, hear fine music, and an eloquent
sermon and then go home to a sumptuous dinner with
the feeling that our Sunday duty is done. Teach em-
phatically," he adds, "that one is more profited by
acting than by hearing, that it is more blessed to give
than to receive."

3. Because this is according to the example of
our Lord.

Jesus never deceived any one with the idea that
the Christian life is one of indolence and ease. True,
He does say: ''Come unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." That
there may be no mistake, however. He adds in the very
next verse : "Take my yoke upon you." Now a yoke
means service. (Matt, xi, 28-29.) We cannot mis-
understand such passages as : Matt, xx, i : "For
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that
is an householder, which went out early in the
morning to hire laborers into his vineyard." Matt xx,
6: "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" Matt.
xxi, 28 : "Son, go work to-day in my vineyard."
Luke xix, 13 : "Occupy till I come."

It is worthy of notice, that, in the parable of the
talents, it is the man with the one talent that failed.
This does not teach that a man with one talent is
more likely to fail than a man with two or five; but
to show that the one with the smallest gifts will be
held accountable for the use of all that has been en-
trusted to him. When Jesus said : "No man having
put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for
the Kingdom of God," He did not have in view a
modern sulky plow with the driver sitting at ease

GETTING THE PEOPLE AT WORK 21

with an umbrella over him, but rather one after the
style of the cuts in the old almanac, under which the
couplet ran thus:

"The man who by the plow would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drive."
In reality, he must "both hold and drive," as you
farm boys know. As pastors we must inculcate this
view of the Christian life at the door of entrance to
the Church. "This is a faithful saying, and these
things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they
which have believed in God might be careful to main-
tain good works." (Titus iii, 8.)

Ill

The Pastor Should Study the Peculiar Gifts of the
Individual Members of His Flock.

1. Because gifts differ.

I Cor. xii, 4. "There are diversities of gifts, but
the same Spirit." In the election of officers the choice
must be left to the people, but in the distribution of
workers a large share of responsibility rests with the
pastor. It is neither wise nor right that missionary
societies or young people's societies should assume to
distribute the workers independently of the judgment
of the pastor. That the pastor may act intelligently
he must acquaint himself with the special gifts of
each one.

2. Because it is of great importance to assign each
one to the work for which he is adapted.

When the members of the human body are wrongly
placed the result is a monstrosity. There are good
many ecclesiastical monstrosities, as when the pew
thinks itself a pulpit. To put into the eldership one
whose gifts are adapted to the diaconate is like put-

22 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

ting a hand in the place of an eye. One may be very
efficient in the place to which he is suited, and yet
be either useless or harmful in another position.

In the Saviour's parable of the distribution of the
talents He says: *'To every man according to his
several ability." The natural ability is the basis on
which talents are distributed. To have given five tal-
ents to one who had ability for only two would have
been to have wasted the talents and to have wronged
the servant. It is no real honor to any man to be
put into a higher position than he is capable of filling.
It is a misfortune.

3. Because a mistake here is difficult to remedy.

You will never know, until you have tried it, how
hard it is to get important work out of inefficient
hands. Harm may result to the individual when the
general good demands a change among the workers.
He is a happy pastor who has the faculty to discern
the fitness or unfitness of a person to a work before
it is too late.

IV

It is Necessary for the Pastor to Devise Plans of
Work.

With the field before him, and the peculiar personal
gifts of his members in his mind, the next great re-
sponsibility of the pastor is to devise plans of work.

I. Because no efficient work can be done without
a plan.

The Church is a building; the pastor is the master-
builder. He must draw up the plans and specifica-
tions by which the workmen are to be guided. The
Church is a vineyard; the pastor is the husbandman.
He must determine the system of cultivation to be
followed. The Church is an army ; the pastor is the

GETTING THE PEOPLE AT WORK 23

commander-in-chief of all the forces. He must
formulate the plan of campaign. If the pastor is a
live earnest man, he will be planning all the time.

2. Because the need for new plans will constantly
recur.

a. Methods wear out and lose their efficiency.

b. New fields of work open up.

c. New members come in and must be employed.

d. New zeal is kindled and must have an outlet.
These and other reasons will demand that new

plans be devised to meet changing circumstances. It
is an evidence of stagnation if not of decay when the
pastor ceases to plan for work.

3. Because plans need to be carefully thought out
before they are adopted.

When anything new is proposed, there are several
important questions to be considered.

a. W^hether or not the method is Scriptural.

It is not enough that we have good intentions and
good ends in view. We must have right methods.
All our success depends on our being "laborers to-
gether with God." To labor with God we must work
in God's way.

Dr. E. P. Marvin of Lockport, N. Y., is quoted in
the September, 1905, number of the Christian States-
man as giving some pungent reasons why all effort
fails to secure a revival of religion. Among other
reasons he gives the following: "The less piety a
Church has, the more oysters, ice-cream and fun it
takes to run it, and the faster it runs from God. The
craze of organization, added to outside lodges, split-
ting up, confusing and weakening the Church with
many-lettered societies and Te-to-tum Clubs — all this
unblest mechanism fills the Church with clatter of ma-
chinery and clamor of methods. These many super-
fluous wheels, unanointed by the Holy Spirit, are a
dead weight, and they present little or no spiritual

24 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

output. God never organized His Church as the
nexus for a confederacy of societies for miscellaneous
purposes, but as a compact body for united effort,
with the minimum of machinery and the maximum
of power. When we seek to improve on this, we im-
pugn the wisdom of God. We need to energize more,
and organize less." He concludes with these words :
**No great revival is possible till the Church and min-
istry repent, pray, get right with God, and unload the
dead weight of about half our Church members."

Such an arraignment of the methods of Church
work prevailing in our times emphasizes this point :
that the very first question to be raised as to new
methods proposed is, "Are they Scriptural?" No
matter what apparent success they have, if they do
not bear this test, they must be rejected.

b. Whether or not it has been successfully em-
ployed elsewhere.

We must not allow ourselves to become so self-
sufficient as to refuse to profit by the experience of
others. We may' get some valuable lessons as to
plans of work from sister congregations or sister de-
nominations. It would have been worth while for
our Church to have given some attention to the plans
and experiences of the United Presbyterians and the
Methodists, and the Lutherans, and the Baptists, in
determining our policy for the organization of our
young people.

c. Whether or not it is adapted to this congre-
gation.

To find a method of work in successful operation
in another pastorate does not insure its success in
yours. You are a different man; you labor among a
different people; you and they have a different en-
vironment. In considering plans a pastor should
calmly reflect whether he has the right persons for
carrying them out; whether he is himself willing to

GETTING THE PEOPLE AT WORK 25

undergo the labor necessary to their success. Bear in
mind that a plan may look well in theory and yet
be wholly impracticable. Reflection should come be-
fore inaugurating a plan, rather than regret after-
wards.

4. The pastor should be persevering in his plans
of work. When a plan is adopted, it should be
pushed.

It is hurtful to the pastor's influence to be always
inaugurating movements that are never carried out.
People soon learn to distrust the plans of their min-
ister if they are habitually failures. It not infre-
quently happens that a good plan of work is difficult to
inaugurate. You must not be too easily discouraged.
If you have been sufficiently careful in considering a
plan, you should not too readily abandon it because
it does not meet your expectations from the first. On
the other hand do not obstinately persist in a plan to
the injury of the cause, through unwillingness to con-
fess your mistake.

5. Never plan without prayer.

You cannot succeed without God. It is presump-
tion to plan without His counsel, and then expect to
have His aid. "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and
He shall direct thy paths." The flock is His. The
under shepherd should take counsel with the Chief
Shepherd.

V

The Pastor Should Train the Workers.

Normal classes for the training of Sabbath school
teachers and workers in missions may seem impossible,
but the best of plans may be defeated in the hands of
unskilled workmen. The pastor should be careful not
to find fault with workers who are doing the best they

26 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

know, but do all in his power to instruct them as to
improved methods. And there never was a successful
pastor who did not conduct some sort of training
class among his young people, in music, or in doc-
trine, or in methods of work, or in the Bible.

VI

The Pastor Should Seek to Gather the Fruits of Their
Labors.

1. He should expect fruits.

We should plan in faith and teach our people to
labor in faith. It is true that God giveth the in-
crease; but it is not less certain on that account that
the husbandman plows and sows in hope. True, all
our efforts will be in vain unless the Holy Spirit
works with us. But we need not think of that as the
most unlikely thing in the world. Nothing is more
certain. ''Much more shall the Heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit unto them that ask Him."

2. He should be prompt to gather the fruits in
their season.

We do too little reaping for the amount of sowing.
We gather children into the Sabbath school, keep
them perhaps for years, and then see them drift back
into the world. We employ city missionaries, and the
Church comes into contact with irreligious families
and yet fails to win them. Good seed is sown, but
no harvest is garnered. This ought not to be so.
Young gentlemen, I beseech you to set yourselves to
be reapers as well as sowers. Be alert for the in-
gathering of souls. God "giveth the increase," but
bringing in the sheaves is our business. Nothing can
be more discouraging to faithful workers in the
Church, than to see their efforts fail of results through
the failure, carelessness, or inefficiency of their pastor.

GETTING PEOPLE AT WORK 27

May these thoughts lead you to reflect that the
pastoral office is a great trust; that it leaves no time
to turn aside to secular employments ; that it demands
the fullest dedication of all our gifts of body, mind,
and soul, and their utmost exercise ; and that it af-
fords the widest opportunities for usefulness, and
promises the most glorious rewards for faithfulness.
*'The elders which are among you I exhort, who am
also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall
be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among
you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready
mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but
being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of
glory that fadeth not away." (i Pet. v, 1-4.)

LECTURE IV
THE PRAYER-MEETING

We are now ready to turn our attention to the ac-
tivities of the congregation, or The Pastor and Peo-
ple at Work. In placing the prayer-meeting first
among the activities of church-life, I follow the ex-
ample of most writers on Pastoral Theology.

Dr. Wilcox says: "Some writer has said to the
young pastor: 'Give one-third of yourself to your
pulpit, one-third to your pastoral calls, and one-third
to the prayer-meeting.' " And he adds, "This esti-
mate of the importance of the prayer-meeting is
hardly exaggerate."

Dr. Cuyler in How to he a Pastor, says: "The
prayer-meeting may fairly claim to be regarded as
second only to the pulpit in the spiritual life of the
Christian Church. Some would give it the first place,
for, while many churches have managed to keep alive
without a pastor, none are likely to preserve their vi-
tality and vigor without a regular gathering of the
flock for public devotion."

Murphy says: "The piety and usefulness of the
Church are most intimately connected with its prayer-
meetings. Whether as cause or effect, it is found that
the degree of the one is always in proportion to the
interest manifested in the other. It will therefore
be seen at once that this is a subject that claims the
most careful attention of the pastor. It is one which
he ...ust not only study, but carry out into practice
from the first to the last day of his ministry. Every-
thing demands of him that it should be made most
prominent, in both thought and practice."

28

THE PRAYER-MEETING 29

These are very strong testimonies. I think the
writers describe the prayer-meeting, not as it is, but
as it ought to be — the ideal prayer-meeting. Let it
be your purpose to make the ideal prayer-meeting
the real one in the congregation of which you are to
be pastor, and then the best that has been said of
the prayer-meeting will be true of yours. There is a
fine field for progress in this department of our
church life.

Let us consider:

Wherein Lies the Importance of the Prayer-Meeting.

I. It measures the spiritual life of the Church.

The prayer-meeting is the spiritual thermometer.
The rise and fall of interest in the prayer-meeting
marks the change of heat or coldness in the church.
You may be at a loss to determine which is cause
and which is effect; i.e., whether the cold prayer-
meeting makes a cold church, or a cold church makes
a cold prayer-meeting; but we know that a cold
prayer-meeting indicates a cold church. They are
inter-operative.

Not only is this true of the congregation as a whole,
but equally true of the individual members. Those
members who habitually attend the prayer-meeting
will have warmth and fervor; while those who habit-
ually absent themselves fall into spiritual decline.
And even the same individual will grow hot or cold
according as he attends or neglects the prayer-meet-
ing.

Murphy says: 'Tn a measure that can scarcely be
mistaken, the attendance and interest in these meet-
ings show whose hearts are alive to the things of

30 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

Christ, and what is the extent of spirituality that per-
vades the body."

What could more clearly demonstrate the impor-
tance of the prayer-meetin^^ than this fact?

2. It increases the spiritual life of the Church.
The prayer-meeting is not merely a thermometer,

to measure the heat of the spiritual body; nor yet a
pulsimeter, for indicating the frequency, force, and
variations of the spiritual pulse. It also supplies
spiritual strength and increases the vital forces of the
spiritual nature. It comes midway between the Sab-
baths to arrest the rushing tide of worldliness, and
to draw the Christian apart from the exacting cares
of this earthly life ; and it makes him "to sit in the
heavenly places with Christ." "They that wait upon
the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall mount
up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be
weary; and they shall walk and not faint." (Isa.

xl, 3I-)

3. It utilises the spiritual life of the Church.

a. The members are called to exercise their
gifts in the prayer-meeting itself.

In the public worship on the Sabbath, the services
are wholly in the hands of the pastor; in the prayer-
meeting they should be as far as possible in the hands
of the people. As the apostle says: "Not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is ; but exhorting one another ; and so much
the more as ye see the day approaching." (Heb. x,

25.)

b. The spiritual power generated in the prayer-
meeting pervades all the other activities of
the Church.

It has been well said that, "when the hearts of
Christians are in it, and the life and unction of the
Holy Spirit pervades it, it sends out its blessed in-
fluence to every part of the Church work." Through

THE PRAYER-MEETING 31

it the Lord's Day services are made more profitable,
the Sabbath school is blessed, the effort to attract
to the sanctuary is prospered, the family is happier,
and the fruits of the Spirit are everywhere seen.

It is not enough to say that the prayer-meeting
creates the power, and the other agencies utilize it.
The prayer-meeting is itself the connecting link be-
tween the Spirit's power and the human instrumen-
tality. It is the band that unites the revolving shaft
with the machine, and starts the click of cogs and
the whir of wheels.

The importance of the prayer-meeting is seen in
that it measures the spiritual life of the Church; still
more, in that it increases it ; and most of all that it
utilizes it.

II

How to Secure Attendance at the Prayer-Meeting.

I. Arrange carefully as to the place of meeting.

a. If possible have all meet together.

It is always heartsome to have a good-sized meet-
ing. It promotes a warmth, and sociability, and con-
gregational spirit.

b. If necessary, district the congregation.
You must study the convenience of the people.

They cannot be expected to come regularly from long
distances. Even when the main body of the people
meet at the church, it may be well to arrange cottage
prayer-meetings in the outskirts, — both in city and in
country congregations.

c. If there are several prayer-meetings, let them
unite on special occasions.

For instance, this would be well once or twice dur-
ing the week of prayer, and in the meetings prepara-
tory to the communion.

32 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

2. Aim to have the place of meeting attractive :

a. Well-furnished.

b. Well-lighted.

c. Heated.

d. Ventilated.

Such provisions for the comfort of the worshipers
are means of grace. People dislike to leave their
comfortable homes and cushioned furniture and walk
for miles to do penance sitting on a hard board, shiv-
ering with cold or stupefied and sickened with foul
air.

Dr. Wilcox says : "Do your best to make it a cheer-
ful, social room. Give it the air of a home-parlor.
Have a carpet or drugget on the floor."

Especially, whatever else is lacking, let the room
be amply lighted. A dingy place is enough to take
the life out of any meeting that ever was gathered.

3. Reserve a time for the prayer-meeting, free
from all other meetings.

It may be weekly, or semi-monthly, or monthly,
according to circumstances: but let it have a stated
time, and guard it from interference. This is of great
importance in the cities. In and about Pittsburgh, it
is well understood that Wednesday evening is prayer-
meeting evening. Pastors should agree together that
no meetings will be arranged which might draw away
members from each other's prayer-meetings. Deter-
minedly resist any interference with prayer-meeting
night by any lecture course committee or by any pro-
posed form of social entertainment. I sympathize far
more than I once did with those pastors who refuse
to dismiss the prayer-meeting for the sake of reform
lectures or union services. These do not fill the place
of the prayer-meeting, and, ordinarily, they should
not ask to take its place. The modern device of ar-
ranging weddings for prayer-meeting evening is not
from above. My advice is : Exalt the importance of

THE PRAYER-MEETING 33

the prayer-meeting in the minds of your people by
refusing to yield its place to any ordinary occurrence.

4. Give frequent and kindly invitation to attend
the prayer-meeting.

Do not scold. It does no good. Invite and per-
suade. Let your invitations be marked by serious-
ness and solicitude. "Come early and get a back
seat" is a modern pulpit witticism which is in very
bad taste. It vitiates the appeal to the conscience by
trifling with sacred things. It is not the speech of
moral earnestness.

5. Refer occasionally in your discourses to the
good things offered and enjoyed at prayer-meet-

.ing.
This doubles the appreciation of those who have
enjoyed the good things; and it may awaken a sense
of loss in the minds of the absentees. You need
not always tell what the good things were. "The
secret of the Lord is with the righteous."

6. Make the meetings interesting.

After all is said, this is the only way to have a good
attendance. A few saintly souls will, from a sense
of duty or by sheer force of habit, meet from week
to week, and "go through" as they used to say in
the good, old-time "Society"; but the ordinary mod-
ern Christian will not do that. The prayer-meet-
ing cannot live on its good name. It must have
worth.

On one occasion, in our Synod, a minister gave a
very lengthy and pithless address on how to get the
masses to attend church. When, at last, he gradually
settled into his seat, another brother sprang up, and,
in a quick, alert tone, said: "There are just three
things to be done to bring the masses to church: (i)
Invite them to come; (2) Welcome them when they
do come; (3) Give them something for coming," and
down he sat. It was as if some one had opened a

34 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

door and let in a blast. It is a good rule for securing
attendance at prayer-meeting.

7. Encourage sociability at the close of the meet-

A general handshaking, with especial attention to
strangers, is a good thing. Yet a word of caution
may be necessary just at this point. If a meeting
has been peculiarly solemn and impressive, it is proper
for the pastor to ask the people not to dissipate its
good impressions by frivolous conversation, but to
cherish them by speaking to each other of spiritual
things.

Ill

General Rules for Conducting a Prayer-Meeting.

1. Always prepare carefully.

When Dr. Wilcox quotes with approval the advice
for a pastor to give one-third of his time to the prayer-
meeting, he evidently has in view the method, com-
mon in many churches, of the pastor carrying on the
meeting almost wholly himself and making an ex-
tended address. This is not common with us. Our
danger is in ''trusting to the spur of the moment"
to carry us through. This is a great mistake.

2. The pastor should lead frequently.

Not always, because the prayer-meeting is the peo-
ple's service; but frequently, because

a. Something is due to his position as pastor;

b. He is usually better qualified than others.
His mind is more taken up with spiritual things;

he has more familiarity with methods; the people will
follow his leadership more readily : "They know the
Shepherd's voice ; and a stranger will they not follow,
for they know not the voice of strangers."

Customs differ. Dr. Cuyler gives it as his custom
to entrust the charge of this service to the eldership

THE PRAYER-MEETING 35

in turn. The custom, common in our church, of em-
ploying the male members in turn is better; and best
of all, the custom which prevails in a few congrega-
tions of employing the women as well as the men.
There is neither male nor female in the fellowship
meeting.

3. Begin promptly.

It belongs to the pastor to see that the meeting
opens on time. Never wait more than five minutes
for the leader. Start the meeting and resign the
chair to the appointed leader when he arrives. Noth-
ing is surer to kill a prayer-meeting than dilly-dally-
ing at the opening.

4. Seek to have many participate in the exercises.
The more that take part in a prayer-meeting, the

better it is. Everyone who does anything thinks the
meeting was good. Fault-finding usually comes from
those who have contributed nothing. The children
should be encouraged to read scripture references
and to announce psalms.

5. Close promptly on time.

This is about as important as opening on time. Do
not be betrayed into prolonging the meeting on ac-
count of a fresh interest that springs up just when
it is time to close. It is not uncommon for persons
who have left you to suffer the agony of long pauses
all through the meeting, to have an impulse to speak
when it is time to dismiss. Shut them off remorse-
lessly. I do not think it is wicked even to have a
little satisfaction in doing it. If there is a manifest
interest at the close of the meeting which should be
utilized, it may be better to hold an after meeting.
But rem.ember, it is no disadvantage for a prayer-
meeting to close when everybody is wishing it would
go on.

6. Aim to secure reverence and solemnity in the
services.

36 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

People frequently engage in frivolous conversation
while waiting for the meeting to begin. The leader
rises and proceeds quite a distance in the reading of
the psalm before quiet is secured. This is a very
bad beginning.

Do not encourage facetious or funny remarks, or
eccentricities of any kind. "Because He is thy Lord,
do thou Him worship reverently."

IV

The Exercises of the Prayer-Mee^ting.

I. As far as possible, let the exercises be volun-
tary.

In many places it is difficult to introduce voluntary
exercises. It would be unwise to disturb the peace
of a congregation, but, where it can be secured, the
voluntary exercises are preferable.

a. In a large meeting you cannot call every one
by name.

The old method of one person going through all
the parts of worship — singing, reading, and prayer
— was adapted only to the small societies.

b. A voluntary meeting gives greater freedom
to the operations of the Holy Spirit.

A devotional meeting should be led by the Spirit.
When the leader calls on individuals, he is liable
to summon one to speak whom the Spirit is prompting
to pray ; or ask one to pray who is prepared to speak ;
or wholly to overlook one to whom the Spirit has
given a message or a prayer, and call on one who
has no tidings ready. "Let the Holy Spirit have His
way with you," is a good motto for a prayer-meeting.

c. Meetings of this kind will rise to greater spir-
itual heights than by the other method.

THE PRAYER-MEETING 37

This is a matter of common experience, and is ac-
cording to the operation of spiritual laws. The free,
spontaneous movement carries with it a spiritual im-
pulse which is contagious and cumulative.

d. The success of the voluntary meeting de-
pends largely upon the leader.

It is a great mistake to suppose that because the
meeting is voluntary the leader of the meeting is re-
lieved from responsibility. It requires no great tact
to call out members by name, but it often taxes the
utmost resources of the leader to keep the meeting
going without naming persons. "Will some one
pray?" "Has any one a psalm?" "Will not some of
the young people speak?" "Can not some one relate
an experience?" These are some of the ways of giv-
ing the meeting a lift.

e. In a voluntary meeting the pastor must ear-
nestly sustain the leader.

The pastor has not done his whole duty when he
has taken his place in speaking or prayer. He should
prompt others to the service. This may often be done
privately before the meeting opens, — especially when
the leader is young or inexperienced. The famine
should be anticipated and provision laid up before-
hand, like the corn in the storehouses of Egypt. This
becomes a necessity in introducing the voluntary
method where the other has been the custom.
2. Give much attention to the praise service.
You need not have a dull prayer-rneeting if you
have good singers and know how to use the psalter,
There are psalms suited to every scriptural subject.
My own opinion is that the introduction of the re-
vised psalter will be a great aid to the prayerrmeetr
ing. But do not disturb the peace of the congregar
tion. There have been some foolish things done in
the effort to introduce new versions. Do not despair
if the people are found tinwilling to accept the rf-

38 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

vision ; there are great possibilities in the old ver-
sion yet.

In a few instances, our people have introduced the
''Bible Songs" in prayer-meetings and mission services
and in young people's societies. Such a course is
irregular, lawless, and hurtful. The Bible Songs are
without warrant in our Church. They are admittedly
far removed from the original words of the Holy
Spirit. The most conservative ministers and people
of the United Presbyterian Church do not approve
of them. In reply to a question whether they could
be lawfully introduced into our prayer-meetings, lead-
ing members of Synod answered most emphatically
that they could not ; and it was accepted without dis-
sent as the mind of the court.^

No one believes that he could secure approval of
the supreme judicatory. To introduce them without
warrant is a violation of our ordination vows, in
which we promise subordination to the authority of
the Synod. I charge you, as candidates for the min-
istry, never to be guilty of willfully violating the laws
and established usages of the Church to which you
belong.

3. Encourage the reading of Scripture references.
Persons will do this who will not participate in any

other way. Frequently it is the very best part of the
study of a passage. The custom of rising to read is
helpful in many ways.

4. Aim to have many prayers.

The fault with many of our prayer-meetings is that

1 The attention of Synod having been called to the fact that
in some congregations the Bible Songs are used in Sabbath
Schools and mission work, the following action was taken :
" That the Pastors and Sessions of such congregations as
may be using unauthorized versions of the psalms in the wor-
ship in any department of their church work, be earnestly
urged to discontinue the practice and conform to the law of
the church on the subject." (Minutes of Synod, 1907, p. 77.)

THE PRAYER-MEETING 39

there is too little praying. The truth is, it is often
a misnomer to call it a prayer-meeting. It is Hamlet
with Hamlet left out. We might better omit the
remarks.

The number of prayers may be increased :

a. By having a series of prayers;

b. By having special prayers for special objects;

c. Requests for prayers should always be wel-
comed, and may sometimes be asked for.

5. A Bible reading may be substituted occasionally
for remarks on the passage.

Our prayer-meetings are too formal. We get into
ruts. The same people do the same things at every
meeting, and the others do nothing. A well chosen
Bible Reading will serve to break up this monotony,
and in the hands of a skillful leader it can be made
both interesting and profitable.

6. Aim to have the remarks practical, experi-
mental, and devotional, rather than doctrinal or
controversial.

It is generally said that our people speak with more
freedom on doctrinal subjects than on practical ones;
and that they are better at controversy than at testi-
fying to religious experience. We should aim to cul-
tivate their neglected gifts. How this may be done
will be treated in the next lecture.

LECTURE

THE PRAYER-MEETING— HELPS AND
HINDRANCES

It may seem to you that about all has been said
that needs to be said, as to the relation of the pastor
to the prayer-meeting. The fact, however, remains
that our prayer-meetings are generally far below the
ideal presented and that something should be done to
increase their efficiency as a means of grace. This
lecture will be devoted to a consideration of Helps
and Hindrances to a Successful Prayer-meeting.

Helps to a Good Prayer-Meeting.

I. The selection of suitable subjects:

The prayer-meeting, to be successful, should have a
center of unity. Around that center, all its exercises
should be made to revolve. The prayers, the praise,
and the remarks should radiate from that center in
the beginning and should converge to that center at
the close. And the center of unity in any good
prayer-meeting is the scripture passage which fur-
nishes the subject for consideration. It follows with-
out argument that the selection of suitable subjects is
essential to success.

What should be the character of the subjects?

A. The subject should be definite and particular.
In the old-time society the rule was for the one who
gave the text to "put a Statement on it." This meant
to raise some point from the verse, which would give

40

THE PRAYER-MEETING 41

direction to the discussion. The custom was a good
one. Dr. Wilcox says : "There is sometimes a no-
tion that if the subject is a large comprehensive one,
it will promote variety in remark and prove rich in
suggestion. This is a great mistake. . . . What you
need is to divide your subject into several varied ones,
that one meeting in a series will not resemble the
others." He advises, in announcing the subject, to
sub-divide it, to make points. In most of our con-
gregations there are those who can make points about
as well as the minister; and they prefer to speak on
points they make themselves. What they need is a
clearly defined topic. Instead of selecting as a sub-
ject, 'The Means of Grace," take "The Bible as a
Means of Grace," or "Prayer as a Means of Grace,"
or "The Sacraments as a Means of Grace."

B. The subjects should be practical rather than
doctrinal.

This does not mean that there shall not be doctrine,
but that the aim will be not so much the statement
and proof of doctrines as inquiry after the practical
uses. For instance, instead of discussing "The King-
ship of Christ," consider "The Duties Growing Out
of Our Relation to Christ as King."

Two reasons may be given :

a. Doctrinal subjects tend to long and dry
speeches. These are always hurtful and
sometimes fatal to the meeting.

b. Practical subjects invite personal testimony.
The prayer-meeting should be an experience meet-
ing. The Methodists go to one extreme ; we go to
the other. They are in danger of professing experi-
ences which they do not have; we are in danger of
conceahng experiences which we ought to profess.
The scriptural ground is safe and right ; i. e., "Come
and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell what He
hath done for my soul." (Ps. Ixvi, 16.)

42 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

C. The Distinctive Principles of the Church
should have a place.

If a denomination has any just ground for main-
taining a separate existence, its distinctive principles
must be held as of sufficient importance to color all
the departments of church life. Various advantages
arise from occasionally introducing them in prayer-
meeting.

a. It helps the pastor to understand what is
needed :

If the people are indifferent, or ignorant, or un-
settled on any point, it is likely to discover itself in the
freedom of the prayer-meeting. Then the remedy
can be judiciously applied.

b. The discussion may be more instructive to
the young than would be a sermon on the
subject.

It gives an opportunity to ask questions and to
state difficulties. Our distinctive principles can be
simplified to suit the minds of children. I recall an
instance from a prayer-meeting address by Rev. R. C.
Allen, just before a communion. He said he would
explain to the children why Covenanters do not vote,
and proceeded as follows :

(i) Jesus Christ is the King of Nations;

(2) Nations ought to own their King;

(3) Our Nation does not own King Jesus;

(4) This is a great dishonor done to Christ;

(5) A Christian should not join in this dis-
honor ;

(6) Those who vote consent to the Nation's dis-
honoring Christ.

Mr. Allen seemed to gain assent to every point as
he advanced. His remarks were instructive, full of
warning, and made a lasting impression.

c. It may lead to an invitation to preach on
these subjects:

THE PRAYER-MEETING 43

I recall three such invitations that came to me by-
vote of the prayer-meeting — one on Systematic Giv-
ing; another on Secret Societies; the third, on the
Exclusive Use of the Psalms.

The Report on Young People's Societies at the
Synod of 1905 prescribed a series of topics taken
from the Covenant of 1871. Nothing could be more
helpful to Covenanter youth.

2. A judicious method of selecting subjects:

Since the success of the prayer-meeting depends so
largely on the suitableness of the subject, the matter
of choosing the topic becomes of the first importance.
No one method is best for all places, nor for any one
place at all times. The following suggestions may
assist in choosing the best method for your congre-
gation :

A. Some one may be appointed at each meeting
to bring the subject for the next meeting.

The advantages of this method are :

a. It interests a large number of members.
The one who selects the subject and his friends will

be interested. 'T must attend the prayer-meeting to-
night because they have my subject." ''Come and
hear my subject discussed." "I want you to speak
to-night on my text." 'T hope we shall have a good
meeting, for I chose the text." A method which
leads to looking forward with expectation has much
to commend it.

b. It secures subjects in which the people are
interested.

The prayer-meeting is the people's meeting. This
is a good reason why they should choose the subjects
directly.

c. It gives opportunity to adapt the subject to
the circumstances.

"He hath made everything beautiful in its time."
Timeliness in a subject helps the prayer-meeting.

44 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

The objections to this method are :

a. The appointment is liable to be overlooked
occasionally.

b. The absent members may not learn the sub-
ject for next meeting.

It is not uncommon to hear the remark: *T was
not at the last meeting and did not hear the subject
until I came in." This is not infrequently the omi-
nous preface to a long, rambling talk which confirms
the truth of the statement.

c. The selection is not always judicious.

This is more likely to be the case than when the
selection is made by an experienced committee.

d. Some subjects will be chosen over and over
again, and others not at all.

B. A second method is to have a committee select
subjects and leaders for six months or a year in ad-
vance.

The advantages of this method are:

a. It gives timely notice of the subject to all;

b. Tends to equalize the privileges and duties of
the members ;

c. Secures a wider and more systematic range
of subjects;

d. Avoids the introduction of unsuitable topics.
Its disadvantages are:

a. It removes the meeting further from the peo-
ple;

b. Has less adaptability to changing circum-
stances.

C. A third method is to adopt the topics selected
by a Presbyterial or Synodical committee.

The advantages of this method are:

a. It saves labor;

b. Gives a uniform subject to a number of con-
gregations ;

THE PRAYER-MEETING 45

c. Secures aids similar to the Sabbath School
helps.
Its disadvantages are the same as in the second
method.

D. A fourth method is to use the Golden Texts
of the Sabbath School lessons.

The advantages of this method are :

a. Every one knows the subject;

b. There is access to Sabbath School helps;

c. People are already interested in the subject;

d. It offers an aid to Sabbath School workers.
Its disadvantages are:

a. It tends to give undue attention to one sub-
ject;

b. Some of the most appropriate subjects are
omitted ;

c. The aim of the Sabbath School is instruc-
tion, that of the prayer-meeting is devotion ;

d. It has a tendency to take the freshness off
Sabbath School teaching.

The above are the four principal methods known
to me as prevailing in our congregations. The con-
scientious pastor will diligently seek to discover the
method best suited to his field. I have given them
thus at length and in detail because of the great im-
portance that attaches, not only to the prayer-meet-
ing topics, but to the method of their selection. If
your prayer-meeing lacks variety and freshness, in-
troduce a new method of selecting the topics. Make
a trial of it for three months. You will be surprised
how many will take part who have never taken part
before ; and you will be gratified to find the old stand-
bys shaken out of their rut.

46 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

II

Hindrances to the Prayer-Meeting.

After what has been said of the importance of the
prayer-meeting, we must all feel that for some rea-
son there are very few ideal prayer-meetings. There
are obstacles in the way of success that sorely try
the earnest pastor. If what I have to say does not
point out a way of escape from these difficulties, it
may at least assist you to bear them. I can say in
the words of Peter: ''Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing had happened unto you."

What are some of the Hindrances, and how shall
we overcome them?

I. The prayer-meeting suffers from the disposition
of people to choose the back seats.

It would not seem strange that those who occupy
the front row at the theatre should form the back
row at the prayer-meeting; but it is remarkable that
prominent church members will seek the remotest cor-
ners of the room. It is a very serious obstacle in
the way of a good prayer-meeting.

Dr. Washington Gladden says: "A pastor with
people in the back seats and emptiness between him-
self and them, feels like singing pathetically:

" Though sundered far, by faith we meet
About a common mercy seat' "

This is not such an insignificant matter as it seems.
Murphy says: 'When the people are scattered over
the house, back by the door or around the walls, there
is a feeling of coldness comes over the whole assem-
bly. . . . The sensation of indifference is inevitably
produced. If strangers happen to be present, an ex-
ceedingly unhappy impression is made upon them.

THE PRAYER-MEETING 47

The minister or other leader is chilled by seeing noth-
ing around him but empty seats."

Admitting the evil, what is the remedy?

A. Some turn down or pile away all but a few
front chairs and let them be brought out as the peo-
ple gather.

My observation is that it would be necessary to put
them under lock and key or they would be carried
out before the seats were half filled.

B. Habitually call on tfee brethren in the rear
seats.

Our Synod has a rule of procedure that when
two members rise and address the moderator at the
same time, the floor shall be awarded to the member
most distant from the moderator's chair. If it were
made a rule of procedure to call on the members in
the rear seats first, modesty would prompt some of
them to move forward.

C. By quiet, personal persuasion, seek to break up
the habit.

I doubt the propriety of publicly alluding to the
fact at all, or showing any annoyance about it. To
scold and harangue the back seats is worse than use-
less. But if you set yourself determinedly to break
up the habit by tactful personal effort, in most places
you will succeed.

2. A second serious hindrance is from a few per-
sons monopolizing the time.

Speaking of this, Dr. Cuyler says : "Some good
people mar a meeting without intending it. For ex-
ample, one fluent brother gets to monopolizing the
time by the inordinate frequency, or the inordinate
length of his utterances. I once had an excellent
church member who spoke regularly at every prayer
service, and it requires a very full man to do that
profitably. I frankly told him that he was crowding
others out oi their rights, and suggested that he might

48 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

better address the Almighty in petition sometimes,
instead of always addressing his neighbors in exhorta-
tion. He accepted it kindly."

Some good speakers would be listened to more
eagerly if they relieved their talks by more frequent
flashes of silence.

A. Stir up the silent members to do their part.

My observation is that this foregoing evil is fre-
quently the fault of those who refuse to do anything.
There are persons who find fault with others for
monopolizing the time who would, themselves, sit there
and let the meeting die and then watch in silence be-
side the corpse, rather than contribute anything to
keep it alive.

B. Secure the promise of some privately that they
will occupy the time.

This need not be done with the avowed purpose
.of crowding somebody else out, but with that result.

C. n necessary, speak to such persons of their
.^'ault.

They usually know it themselves. In fact it is
quite common to hear such a person aggravate his
offense by repeated apologies and by tmconvincing
assurances that he will not take any time. In deal-
ing with such a case, general remarks seldom effect
a change. And yet I must caution you to use the
utmost delicacy and care not to wound unnecessarily
one who, from a sense of duty, is seeking to do his
part in the prayer-meeting. It is well to have the art
of the woman of Tekoah and "fetch about this form
of speech."

3. The prayer-meeting often suffers from long
common-place speeches and prayers.

This evil is related to the foregoing. I need not
Q Hscuss it. You have all seen it. It is almost every-
^^ 'lere. What is the remedy?
^\ JMake a rule for brevity.

THE pkatek-m:e:et'ing 49^

With common consent to a three-minute rule, you
need not make it an issue with the man personally.

B. Place a clock where all can see it.

The difficulty is that everybody sees it except the
offender, and he drags on in blissful ignorance.

C. Secure a rapid movement in the meeting by
having all the exercises short.

If the leader takes the chair two or three minutes
late, then mopes over the psalm book two or three
minutes more, then with deliberation draws one leg off
the other knee and makes two or three ineffectual
efforts to get to his feet, then reads a lengthy portion
of psalm and the longest chapter in the book, and
prays from the Creation down through all creation,
he has delivered the prayer-meeting over, shaven and
shorn, to the hand of the Philistines.

Reading several short selections bearing directly on
the subject, rather than long chapters; singing fre-
quently, but briefly; offering a short, pointed prayer
— all this by the leader in opening the meeting will
help. Like begets like.

D. The pastor should set a good example.

E. As a last resort it may be necessary to speak
plainly to the offender.

4. A fourth hindrance to the prayer-meeting comes
from grumblers and fault-finders.

Dr. Cuyler says : "It commonly requires the pres-
ence of several sensible people to make a good prayer-
meeting, but it is in the power of one or two weak-
minded and troublesome people to mar it most
wretchedly. Some people of this sort will come into
a meeting as moths fly into a candle; they stick there
like the moths, but instead of being scorched to death,
they merely extinguish the meeting."

There are some people so constituted that they
never see the bright side of anything. It is a very
unhappy temperament, and speeches made habitually

50 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

in this vein, even when discussing the evils of the
day, may do much to injure the prayer-meeting. Then
such people are sure to complain of the meetings.
They will even scold about the absentees until they
make those who are present wish they were absent, to
escape the tirade.

The pastor must be on the alert not to allow such
persons to impart to the prayer-meeting the outlook
of their jaundiced eyes. The prayer-meeting is no
place for talking the church down. Habitual grum-
blers should be suppressed or they will suppress the
prayer-meeting. Kindle such a light as will dispel
the darkness and drive away the moles and bats and
owls. The prayer-meeting is not the place for politi-
cal pessimism, but for spiritual uplift. Make it your
rule to send the people home with the impression that
they have had a good meeting.

5. It is a serious hindrance when men of incon-
sistent lives take a prominent part in the prayer-meet-
ing.

Cuyler says : 'There may be cases in which a meet-
ing is seriously disturbed by the unwelcome utterances
of persons whose characters are more than doubtful
and who desire to gain a cheap reputation for piety
by taking part in prayer or exhortations. Such trans-
gressors should be frankly told that they had better
remain silent until they are ready to open their lips
in honest confession."

This last remark is noteworthy. If a man who
has gone wrong has the humility fully to confess his
fault and to seek the forgiveness and the prayers of
his brethren, he may fill a prayer-room with a fra-
grance as sweet as that of the broken alabaster box.
But there is a species of wordy and windy parading
of one's own awful guiltiness which only nauseates
the auditors, and cannot impose upon God.

My own experience is that there is no class of of-

THE PRAYER-MEETING 51

fenders that is more obnoxious than those who have
gone wrong financially. People are not willing to be
exhorted, or even led in prayer, by one who has
cheated them. Moody says : *'A man who pays fifty
cents on the dollar when he could pay a hundred
cents had better keep still." This is good advice, even
if he couldn't pay his debts, provided the general im-
pression is that he could, or if his inability arises from
simple neglect or carelessness.

6. The last hindrance of which I will speak is
the long pauses between the exercises.

What can be done to correct this evil?

A. Impress the elders with their responsibility;

B. Engage persons privately to break up such

pauses ;

C. Encourage voluntary psalm-singing without

reading ;

D. Urge the leader of the singing to be prompt
with the music;

E. Turn the pauses into seasons of silent prayer.
This is the most important. The silences are the

best part of some meetings. It should be impressed
upon all that when silences occur, they are not to be
considered as breaks in devotion, but that all hearts
are lifted up in unison to God. An appropriate peti-
tion at such times would be :

''My closed lips, O Lord, by Thee
Let them be opened:
Then shall thy praises by my mouth
Abroad be published."

In closing these lectures on the prayer-meeting, I
would again urge upon you that you resolve that as
pastors you w^ill give great care and attention to the
improvement of the prayer-meeting service, and that
you will carefully look after those who willfully and
habitually neglect it.

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto

52 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

love and to good works; not forsaking the assem-
bling of ourselves together as the manner of some
is; but exhorting one another, and so much the more
as' ye see the day approaching." (Heb. x, 24, 25.)

LECTURE VI

THE RELATION OF THE SABBATH SCHOOL
TO THE CHURCH

It is too late in the day to stop to discuss the im-
portance of the Sabbath School. The fact that many
millions throughout all Christendom are engaged in
its exercises; that the best talent of the churches is
employed in the preparation of its literature; that it
receives large attention from the Church courts; and
that the deepest interest is felt in the discussions of
its methods and plans of work in Sabbath School In-
stitutes, Conventions, and Assemblies; all these tes-
tify to the important place which the Sabbath School
has attained among the activities of our Church life.

The following testimonies of eminent pastors, as
quoted by Murphy, will impress the claims of the
Sabbath School upon your time and attention, as pas-
tors. Rev, Dr. Ashbel Green, near the close of his
life said: "If I had my ministry to go over again,
I would give more attention to the children." Rev.
Dr. Samuel Miller gave this emphatic testimony :
"After the observation and experience of a long life
I have come decisively to the conclusion that, if I
had my life to live over again, I would pay ten times
as much attention to the children and young people
of my charge as I ever did. If I were now about to
take a new or feeble church, I would consider that to
give attention to the children and young people of the
neighborhood would be one of the most certain meth-
ods of collecting a large congregation that could be

53

54 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

employed." Rev. Dr. S. H. Tyng says: "If every
pastor would give one sermon on every Sunday espe-
cially addressed to the young, and designed and pre-
pared to teach them, he would find himself enlarging
his direct usefulness in this particular work, and
equally advancing the value and benefit of every other
class of his public and private labors in religious in-
struction." Such testimonies as these from aged pas-
tors, reviewing their life work from the threshold
of eternity, should have much weight with those just
entering the ministry. Of Him who is our example
and our Lord it is said : *'He shall feed His flock like
a Shepherd : He shall gather the lambs with His arm,
and carry them in His bosom." (Isa. xl, ii.)

Our theme to-day is The Relation of the Sabbath
School to the Church.

I

The Sabbath School is IDENTICAL with the Church.

The Sabbath School is the Church at work. To
conceive of it as a separate, independent, and rival
institution set up alongside the Church is an error
of other days. If this were the true idea of the Sab-
bath School, then the charge that it is without Scrip-
tural warrant would be well-founded. The authority
for the Sabbath School is in the command given to
the elders of the Church : "Shepherdize the Church
of God, which He hath purchased with His own
blood." (Acts XX, 28.) The Sabbath School is sim-
ply the Church of Christ, exercising the authority
with which He has invested her, and employing the
talents with which He has endowed her, to do the
work with which He has entrusted her. The relation
between the Sabbath School and the Church is one
of identity.

SABBATH SCHOOL AND CHURCH 55

H

The Sabbath School Should be Subordinate to Church
Authority.

This follows from the relation of identity. On this
subject Bishop John H. Vincent in his work entitled
The Modern Sunday School, says : "The question as
to the original authority of the Sunday School will
be answered according to the theory of the person
questioned. It may be in the school itself as an in-
dependent organization, a society outside of all
Churches and amenable to none. It may be, and I
think in every case shoidd be, from the Church as a
divine institution established to do a given work and
creating the Sunday School as the wisest and best
method for doing that work. Having established or
recognized the method, the Church as a local body,
or the Church Synodical, should be responsible for
everything pertaining to the school, for the consti-
tution or plan under which it is to be conducted, and
for the officers who are to have control for this pur-
pose. These should make regular reports to the
Church in her governing conference or committee, or
to the congregation in which all ecclesiastical power is
lodged. Authority must dwell somewhere, and where
more appropriately or securely than in the Church it-
self ?" With the principles here laid down by Bishop
Vincent, I agree in the main.

I. The Sabbath School of the congregation should
be under the immediate control of the session.

a. In the choice of its officers.

b. In the selection of its teachers.

c. In the methods of its work.

d. In the nature and scope of its instructions.
The reason of all this is obvious. The Church is

responsible for the religious instruction and training
of her youth, and of all her members ; and she cannot

56 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

shift that responsibiHty to other shoulders. How this
control should be exercised will be discussed later.
Suffice it here to say that the authority of the ses-
sion over the school should be unquestioned.

2. The mission schools of a congregation should
be under the control of the session.

Every Sabbath School is a missionary agent. In
every neighborhood where there is a Christless home
there will be mission scholars. To reach these is one
of the great ends of the Sabbath School. But in all
large towns, and in cities, there should be established,
in outlying districts, what are distinctively called Mis-
sion Schools. These are frequently organized and
carried on under the leadership of some earnest man
or woman, wholly independent of Church control.
Such schools would gain immensely by being placed
under the supervision of a devoted pastor and a judi-
cious session. The gospel gains power over the
hearts and lives of men by being connected with the
divine institutions of the Church. When such a field
lies open the authorities of the Church should oc-
cupy it and extend their supervision over it.

3. Even a union school would be better under the
control of some one Church.

I would prefer to labor in a union school controlled
by any body of evangelical Christians that would agree
to maintain Scriptural forms of worship, rather than
in a so-called union school organized independently
of all churches.

HI

The Sabbath School Should be in VITAL Union zvith
the Church.

A graft may be inserted into a living tree and be
held in its place by bands and wax, but until it forms

SABBATH SCHOOL AND CHURCH 57

a vital connection with the tree it will neither grow
nor bear fruit. So a Sabbath School may be held in
an external connection with the Church by the bands
and cords of Church authority, but, before it can
flourish and become fruitful, it must have such vital
union with the Church that the spiritual forces of the
Church's life will flow out through every branch, and
twig, and leaf, and flower, and fruit of its organism.
How shall this result be secured?

1. The members of session should manifest a deep
interest in the school.

Not that every elder should be a teacher. Many
an elder has no gift in that direction. Such would
prove their interest in the welfare of the school by
not teaching. But each one should manifest interest
by his presence, by intimacy with the scholars and
teachers ; by words of approval and encouragement ;
by his kindly helpful suggestions for improvement ;
and by his prayers.

2. All the members of the Church should be in
the school.

The lawful exceptions to this rule are not sufficient
to modify the statement. Those who excuse them-
selves from attendance on the ground that they are
unfit to be teachers bear witness to their need to be
taught. No one is too old to study the Bible or too
wise to receive instruction.

In some country congregations they have what has
been aptly named ''the horse-shed class." It is usu-
ally composed of men who seem to think they know
too much to spend their time in the simple exercises
of the Sabbath School; and so they sit on the fence
and chew tobacco and talk worldliness, while those
of lower attainments pore over their Bibles, or engage
in services of worship. The pastor needs great wis-
dom and tact in approaching this misguided class,
but he should not rest satisfied until it is broken up.

S8 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

I was present in a Sabbath School Convention where
the question was asked, "How shall we keep the chil-
dren in the Sabbath School, as they grow up?" The
answer was given. "Build a wall of grown folks
between them and the door." The difficulty with
many schools is that there is a wall of grown folks
built outside the door and it keeps them out, in-
stead of keeping them in.

3. All the children of the Sabbath School should
attend the Church services.

Bishop Vincent deals earnestly with this question.
He says: "In this connection, I make earnest pro-
test against making the Sunday School a substitute
for public service of worship and preaching, especially
in the case of little children. The service is for them
and they should be required to attend it regularly."

I am familiar with the usual objections, viz:

a. "The child cannot understand the sermon."
The answer to this is:

(i) Adults do not all understand the sermon.

(2) Children understand more than we sup-
pose.

(3) Sermons of more simplicity and plainness
would be an advantage to both children
and adults.

b. "Children are disinclined to go."
The answer to this is:

(i) It is not a matter of the children's choice,
but of parental authority. The children
should not remember the day when they
did not attend preaching.

(2) Their disinclination cannot set aside the
claims of God.

(3) They are not excused from week-day
schools because they are disinclined to
attend.

SABBATH SCHOOL AND CHURCH 59

c. "We may prejudice our children against
church by requiring them to attend." To
this we answer:
(i) The habit of church going will overcome
the prejudice.

(2) The habit of non-church going is more
dangerous than the prejudice caused by
parental discipline.

(3) Experience proves the contrary.

The men and women of our day who are most
faithful in attendance upon the sanctuary are those
who were trained to it as children. "Train up a child
in the way he should go, and, when he is old, he will
not depart from it."

4. The services of worship in the Sabbath School
should harmonize with the Church service.

It is a mistake to introduce forms of worship into
the Sabbath School which are not employed in the
Church. As I have already said in another connec-
tion, the introduction of the United Presbyterian
"Bible Songs" into our Sabbath Schools is wholly un-
warranted and to be condemned. Our own new ver-
sion should be brought into all the services: Sabbath
school, young people's societies, prayer meetings,
and church services.

5. The children should be made acquainted with
the Church and her glorious work.

Murphy says: "The children should be made to
see the superior advantages which the Church has
above every mere institution of men. They should be
taught her honorable history, and they should be kept
well acquainted with the various projects she is carry-
ing on for the purpose of saving and sanctifying the
human race. The more they are made to know of
the Church, the more they will be interested in her
and be drawn to the fold. They should be made to
feel that the Church is theirs and awakened to a lev-

6o THE PEOPLE AT WORK

ing concern in all her affairs. They should also be
taught that they have duties toward the Church, to
help forward her interests, to love her, and to strive
to bring others to love her."

A little reflection upon these words, and upon the
impression generally made by Sabbath-school teach-
ing, will convince us that the Sabbath School is not
held close enough to the heart and life of the Church.

6. We should cultivate in the Sabbath School a
sincere and intelligent denominational attach-
ment.

Murphy says : 'Tf patriotism loves its own Coun-
try, should not piety love its own Church? Our own
denomination, whatever it is, we think to be the best,
as we show by our connection with it. Should we
not teach our children that we do so, sincerely, be-
lieve? To stay them in the midst of wildly floating
theories, to fix them in the possession of the blessings
of the house of God, it is deeply important that all
our children should be taught to love their own
Church."

In this matter great stress is to be laid on the
phrase, "An intelligent attachment." Attachment to
a denomination is comparatively valueless unless it
springs from love for the distinctive truth held by
that denomination, intelligently apprehended.

'Tntelligent attachment" includes three things:

a. To know the truth.

b. To love the truth.

c. To live the truth.

There cannot be intelligent attachment to any truth
which we do not know; nor attachment of any kind
to truth which we do not love; nor abiding attach-
ment to any truth which we do not embody practically
in our lives. There will be vital union between the
Sabbath School and the Church when both are united
to the living truth of the living God.

SABBATH SCHOOL AND CHURCH 6i

7. It should have a place in the services of the
sanctuary.

a. In the prayers.

Officers, teachers and scholars should feel the
heart-throbs of the Church in her prayers in their
behalf.

b. By special sermons.

(i) On the Sabbath School.
(2) To the Sabbath School.
My own custom in the later years of my pastorate
was to preach to the Sabbath School the first Sab-
bath of each quarter and to especially invite the chil-
dren of the different mission schools to these services.
On such occasions I have spoken to over two hundred
children, largely mission scholars. I look back upon
those services as among the most delightful of my
pastorate. I do not know that I helped the children
greatly, but I do know how much they helped me.

IV

The Sabbath School should be Supported by the
Church.

It is remarkable how difficult it frequently is to
secure a generous support of the Sabbath School by
the congregation. Congregations which pour out
their money freely for other causes will allow their
own Sabbath School to suffer for financial aid. Dr.
Wilcox says: "The pecuniary support of the school
must go with the control of it. A man who sends
off his son to earn his own living can hardly expect
from him an implicit obedience. Many a scholar that
belongs to a church to-day that liberally pays its pas-
tor, choir, and sexton, might well cry: 'How many
hired servants of my father have bread enough and
to spare, and I perish with hunger !' " Of course,

62 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

collections will be taken up in the Sabbath School,
but these should not be expended on the school itself,
but used to develop in the children the grace of giving
for the benefit of others.

The expenses of the Sabbath School should always
be included in the financial scheme for the year, and
should be calculated on a generous scale. 'There is
that giveth, and yet increaseth ; and there is that with-
holdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty."

LECTURE VII

THE RELATION OF THE PASTOR TO THE
SABBATH SCHOOL

Having considered the relation of the Sabbath
School to the Church, it follows naturally to inquire
what is the relation of the pastor to the Sabbath
School? On this subject views differ. Some very
eminent preachers take the ground that the Sabbath
School has no claim upon their time, that their busi-
ness is to preach the gospel. Others magnify the
claims of the Sabbath School, even above the claims
of the pulpit and neglect the preparation of sermons
to attend to the details of Sabbath-school work. An-
other large class admit its claims, theoretically, and
almost entirely overlook them practically. Let us,
therefore, study the question in the spirit of honest
inquiry, and seek to reach settled convictions as to
what place the Sabbath School shall have in the dis-
tribution of our time as pastors.

I
Usually, the Pastor should not be the Superintendent
of the Sabbath School.
I. Because it draws too heavily on his nervous

force.
The supervision and control of the Sabbath School
require effort. The superintendent must be alert
and active, not merely during the opening and closing
exercises, but during the session of the school. It is
very important that the minister should come to his
pulpit work with all the freshness and vigor of which
he is naturally possessed.

63

64 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

2. This work can be well done by others.

If it were true that no person but the pastor could
do the work well, it might be his duty to undertake
it, even at the expense of pulpit power. But experi-
ence shows that many of the most successful super-
intendents are laymen. There are duties which the
pastor himself must perform. As far as possible let
him reserve himself for these, and develop the gifts
of his people in the other services.

3. It trains the congregation to depend too much
on the pastor.

It is a misfortune for a congregation to be de-
pendent upon any man. It is no kindness to the peo-
ple for the pastor to carry the burdens that belong
to them ; for when he has killed himself doing it, they
have become too weak to carry them themselves. It
is no small compliment to our Covenanter people to
say, that, while none honor their pastors more than
they, few depend on them less. If the pastor is
absent for a Sabbath, or from a prayer-meeting, the
work still goes on. Where you find a congregation
that gives up its services when the pastor is away,
you have found one that is getting ready to die. This
independence is promoted by keeping the prayer-
meeting and the Sabbath School largely in the hands
of the people. When a prominent pastor went out of
our denomination, leaving the New Castle congre-
gation without a shepherd, that congregation paid a
high compliment to his training by marching straight
forward without losing a step.

II

Circumstances May Arise in which It is the Duty of
the Pastor to be the Superintendent.

I. When only one preaching service is required,
the pastor should aim to have two services: if

PASTOR AND SABBATH SCHOOL 65

not in the congregation, then at some outpost.
In case this fails, he may take charge of the
school.

2. In a new field where no one qualified is avail-
able.

In founding a new congregation it is of great im-
portance that the Sabbath School be started right and
carried to the highest point of efficiency. It not in-
frequently happens, that, in the fewness of numbers,
no one can be found of sufficient knowledge, tact,
and experience to be safely entrusted with the charge
of the school. In such circumstances the earnest pas-
tor will, for a time, over-burden himself, rather than
let the work fall into inefficient hands.

3. Where the Sabbath School has fallen into ruts
and no one else can lift it out.

It sometimes happens that an old man has been
superintendent for years and has outserved his use-
fulness. He is occupying the place to the manifest
injury of the school, and yet it seems impossible to
drop him out. Perhaps he would willingly give way
to the pastor, but would be deeply wounded if any
other were put in his place. In such circumstances
it might become the duty of the pastor to accept the
place until such time as he could transfer it to other
hands.

These and other exceptional cases may suspend the
rule, but they do not set it aside permanently.

Ill

Usually, the Pastor should not he a Teacher in the
School.

I. For the same reasons that he should not be

the superintendent.
Others can do the work of teaching; it will be the

66 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

means of growth and development to them to do it ;
and the minister's strength should be reserved for
other services.

2. Because the pastor's class is likely to over-
shadow the other classes.

Naturally the pastor should be able to make his
class superior to the others. The tendency, therefore,
is to make excuses to get into the pastor's class.
Other teachers feel uncomfortable, not so much be-
cause they cannot rival the pastor, as because they
feel that their scholars would prefer to be in his
class.

3. Because the pastor's teaching should be done
at a point where it will reach the whole school.

In relieving the pastor from obligation to be either
the superintendent of the school or the teacher of a
class, there is no intention of depriving the school
of his services. He should be more than a teacher,
i. e., a teacher of the teachers, in Normal Class and
in Teachers' Meeting.

IV

The Pastor should be the Pastor of the Sabbath
School.

I. He should exercise his pastoral office in the
school itself.

a. He should visit the school regularly. His
coming into the school should be like the ris-
ing of the sun, bringing both light and
warmth.

b. He should acquaint himself fully with the
character of the work done.

As the pastor, he has a responsibility for the effi-
ciency of the school. The officers and teachers and
scholars should all feel the influence of his personality

PASTOR AND SABBATH SCHOOL 6^

in their work. It will have a beneficial effect upon
the deportment of the classes and will quicken the
diligence and fidelity of the teachers if they feel con-
stantly the gentle but firm pressure of the pastor's
hand.

c. He should be recognized as the superior offi-
cer in the school.

Not that the pastor should officiously interfere with
the regular work of teachers or superintendent, but it
should be perfectly understood that he is at liberty
to come in and assume charge of the school or of
any part of its exercises without being regarded as
an intruder or a usurper. The Sabbath School is a
part of his pastoral charge and he is the superior
officer in it. Where a mission school is properly
organized in connection with the congregation, the
relation of the pastor to it is the same as to the con-
gregational school.

2. The pastor should visit the scholars regularly
in their homes :

a. So that the children may feel that they have
a pastor.

A certain respect is felt for the minister of God,
even in the homes of the Christless and the irreligious.
And while the children in these homes cannot be ex-
pected to have that intelligent appreciation of a pas-
toral visit that is found in the homes of our people,
still a new and helpful influence comes into their lives
the moment they are made to feel that they are the
objects of pastoral oversight and solicitude. In some
way it links the life with God.

b. That the pastor may become personally ac-
quainted with the children.

It is worth a persistent effort to secure such ac-
quaintance with mission children as to be able to call
them by their names. It is humiliating after you have
passed a group of children on the street and they

68 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

have looked up expectantly into your face, to hear the
scoffer among them say : "A — ah, he don't know
you !" Now the best way to ''know them" is by home
visits.

c. That the parents may know that he is caring
for their children.

The pastor needs no better warrant for calling on
a family than the fact that the children are attending
his school. Ask to see the children. Let it be under-
stood that you have called on their account. Parents
will not resent your interest in their little ones. You
may even win the parents.

d. That he may be impressed with his responsi-
bility for the saving of their souls.

A visit to the homes of the children will often re-
veal that their only hope of salvation is in what he
and his church can do for them. Oh, how our hearts
would soften toward the wicked, hardened, blessed
little wretches which so try our patience and weaken
our faith, if we only knew the misery, and hardship,
and cruelty of their home life. For these and many
other reasons, the pastor should visit all the children
of his Sabbath School as he does the members of his
flock.

3. He should visit the members of the Sabbath
School in sickness.

Where the families from which the children come
belong to other churches, discretion is necessary not
to give ground of complaint of proselytism. The
Golden Rule is an excellent guide in such cases.

I remark —

a. Such visits are appreciated by children.

There is danger that the young pastor will not
know, and that the old pastor will forget, that quite
young children are comforted and helped, in sickness,
by a pastoral visit. I have more than once been re-
proved by the remark of a little child, that I did not

PASTOR AND SABBATH SCHOOL 69

come to see him in sickness ; and I have been made
glad by the manifestation of pleasure on the part of
little sufferers when I came to the bedside."^

b. Such visits may win the hearts of the parents.

When hearts are softened by the blows of affliction
or solemnized by the imminence of death, the gospel
message frequently finds an entrance where it has
long been sought in vain. Even the godless welcome
the minister in such an hour. Any failure on the
part of the minister to do his duty then may alienate
from the Church those who might have been won to
Christ and to heaven.

4. He should preach special sermons adapted to
the capacities of the children.

There should be something in every sermon suited
to childhood. It is wrong to insist that the children
should attend church and then provide nothing for
their needs. We would not invite children to a ban-
quet merely as spectators, to look on and be good
while the grown folks fed on the rich dainties. But
besides this regular provision, there should be special
sermons for children. These should be —

a. Brief : i. e., the whole service less than an
hour.

It is helpful to sing after each point, allowing the
children to stand during the singing. When the in-
terest begins to flag it is time to close.

b. Chaste and simple in language.
Recently, one of our ministers announced that he

would preach a sermon to the children. The children
were present, eager and expectant. The opening sen-
tence ran thus : "Children are the normal conser-
vators of the public weal." The children must have
wondered what he had called them. They might have

* At this point Dr. George was in the habit of recalling a
last visit with President Dr. W. P. Johnston's two children,
Elinor and Jimmie, stricken with scarlet fever.

70 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

felt like the boy when one said to him: *'Why, my
little fellow, you are quite a philosopher." And he
replied : " I hope that means no harm."

c. They should be picturesque.

Children love pictures, and good word pictures fas-
cinate them. Narrative, anecdote, illustration, must
characterize the children's sermon.

d. They should be tender and sympathetic.
Children are reached through their emotional na-
tures. But the pathos must be real. They are sharp
detectives.

e. They should contain the marrow of the
gospel.

It is a sin to choose a trifling, insignificant theme.
An Action sermon may be changed to a Children's
sermon. Great care in the choice of texts is neces-
sary. Genesis xvi, 13: **Thou God seest me";
I Kings iii, 5 : ''Ask what I shall give thee" ; John
i, 43: "Follow me"; I Kings xvii, 13: "Make me
a little cake first." No theme is too big for a chil-
dren's sermon, providing it is a gospel theme: for
the big truths are plain truths.

LECTURE VIII

THE PASTOR AND THE TEACHERS'
NORMAL CLASS

It was stated in the last lecture that the pastor
should do his teaching, in connection with the Sab-
bath School, at a point where it would benefit the
whole. It will be the aim of this and the following
lecture to show how this may be done.

The Inefficiency of Teachers is a Prolific Source of
Weakness in the Sabbath Schools.

I. This fact is recognized by the leaders in Sab-
bath-school work.

H. Clay Trumbull opens his excellent volume on
''Teachers and Teaching" with the following state-
ment:

"All Sunday-school teachers ought to be teachers
in the Sunday School. Being teachers in the Sunday
School, they ought to teach in the Sunday School.
In order to teach in the Sunday School, they ought
to know what teaching is. An initial purpose of this
volume is, so to designate and define the nature and
methods, and so to indicate the comparative rarity
of proper Sunday-school teaching, as will enable Sun-
day-school teachers to know whether or not they are,
or ever have been, teachers in the Sunday School.
There is practical need of honest doubt at this point;
especially on the part of those who have never sup-
posed there was any cause of questioning here."

These words seem to be severe; yet Dr. Trumbull
71

72 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

was very familiar with Sabbath-school work, and
especially in the large denominations.

2. This inefficiency is not mainly the fault of the
teachers.

Perhaps no one knows better than the teachers
themselves how poorly equipped they are for their
work; and no one more sincerely regrets it than do
they. The fault is with the Church in not giving
such attention to the selection and training of teachers
as the importance of the work demands.

3. One remedy lies in Normal-class training for
Sabbath-school teachers.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
in 1879 took the following action:

"Resolved, That the Assembly approve of the action
of the Board of Publication in preparing a three
years' course of Normal-class instruction, and
earnestly recommend the formation of Normal Classes
wherever practicable."

Similar recommendations have been made by our
own synod and in some instances carried out.

II

The Specific Aim of the Normal Class.

This is twofold —

I. To instruct teachers in the knowledge of the
Bible.

The first essential to teaching is knowing. No
matter what skill any one may have in the art of
teaching, if he does not know anything he has noth-
ing to teach. The Bible is the Sabbath-school text-
book. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor-
rection, for instruction in righteousness: that the man
of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all

THE TEACHERS' NORMAL CLASS 73

good works." (H Tim. iii, 16, 17.) The first aim
of the Normal Class is to impart Bible instruction.

2. To train teachers in the art of teaching.

The mere possession of Scriptural knowledge will
not make an efficient teacher. There must be ability
to transfer knowledge to the mind of another. Hence
the second aim of the Normal Class is training in the
art of teaching. Bishop John H. Vincent, speaking
of Normal Class training, says it involves —
(i) The acquisition of knowledge.

(2) The testing of the knowledge thus acquired.

(3) The utilizing of such knowledge for teach-
ing purposes.

HI

The Necessity for the Normal Class.

1. Other professions have schools of preparation.

We have Medical Colleges for the training of phy-
sicians ; Law Schools for the education of lawyers ;
Theological Seminaries for the preparation of minis-
ters, and Normal Schools for the instruction of public
school teachers. And even kindergarten work de-
mands a course of study. Why should it be supposed
that the religious teaching of the young may be safely
entrusted to unskilled, untaught educators?

2. Usually, Sabbath-school teachers have little time
for immediate preparation.

In medicine, law, theology, or public school teach-
ing, the whole time is devoted to the study and prac-
tice of the profession. The practitioner is a man
of one work. Not so the Sabbath-school teacher.
As has been well said: ''His work is performed
under the pressure of secular occupations. Mothers
from the nursery; merchants and clerks from the

74 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

counter; farmers from the field; lawyers from the
bar; jurists from the bench; physicians from the bed-
side; students from the recitation room." Many of
them are wholly deficient in mental discipline, and
with no time for preparation must make sad work
with the brain of the pupil and the Book of God on
the Sabbath. It is unreasonable to expect that such
teachers can have fitness for their work without
preparation.

3. Because Sabbath-school teaching demands the
very highest and best work.

a. The immortal soul is the material on which
it works.

b. The Divine Word is the instrument with
which it works.

c. The Holy Spirit is the agent through whom
it works.

d. Eternal life is the goal for which it works.
Arguing for the necessity for Normal-class train-
ing for Sabbath-school teachers is like proving an
axiom.

IV

What should be Embraced in a Normal Course?

I. Instruction as to the Sabbath School itself.

a. As to the Scripture warrant for it.
Teachers should have a full persuasion that they are

engaged in the Lord's work and that they are doing it
in the Lord's way.

b. As to its relation to the Church.

The Sabbath School would be more efficient as a
missionary agent and as a nursery to the Church, if
both teachers and scholars were more impressed with
its vital relation to the Church of Christ.

THE TEACHERS' NORMAL CLASS 75

c. As to the duties of the Sabbath-school
teacher.

Much of the failure in Sabbath-school work is
due to the ignorance of teachers as to the scope of
their duties. Many regard them as confined to the
Sabbath-school hour. They should be instructed,
both as to what the duties of the teacher are, and how
to perform them. For instance, visiting the scholars
in their homes, and in sickness, interesting themselves
in their scholars as regards their secular affairs, their
associations and reading, and their school life.

d. As to the duties of Sabbath-school officers.
The Sabbath School is an organization in which the

duties of the several officers — superintendent, secre-
tary, treasurer, and librarian, bring them into closest
contact with the teachers in their work. Sometimes
the contact becomes conflict. It is necessary to the
smooth running of the machinery that the limits of
each office be well understood and conscientiously ob-
served. The uninstructed teacher is liable to assume
the prerogatives of the superintendent and the pastor
by changing studies, grading classes, or choosing an
assistant or a substitute without any consultation.

2. Instruction in the Bible as the Sabbath-school
text-book.

The Bible is the text-book. All other manuals of
instruction are subordinate to this. When the Cate-
chisms, the Testimony and the Confession of Faith
are employed, it should be understood that they are
used as aids to Bible study.

A Normal Course of Bible study might include —
a. Studies in Bible Chronology, History, and
Geography, with use of maps and charts.

Too large a place should not be given to these
subjects in teaching the lessons, but it is of great value
to the teacher to be well informed on them.

y6 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

b. The classification of the books of the Bible.
Every teacher should be familiar with the scope of

the simplest classification : historical, poetical, pro-
phetical, and epistolary books.

c. Studies in particular books.

Robert E. Speer has published a small volume
called ''Studies in Luke," and another ''Studies in
Acts." The mastery of such Bible studies would be
delightful work to earnest Sabbath-school teachers,
and greatly helpful in the work. Our Synod at its
meeting in 1905, recommended that pastors seek to
interest their young people in Bible study, by giving
them at convenient times in their pulpit ministrations
during that year instruction in the books of Jonah,
Obadiah, Galatians, and Philippians. Similar recom-
mendations have been made from time to time. This
could be still more efficiently done in Normal Class
work.

The Normal Course of Bible study as originally
provided by the Presbyterian Church covers three
years: Junior, Middle and Senior. The junior year
is an outline of the Life of Jesus and embraces a
study of the Four Gospels ; the middle course con-
sists of biographical outlines of the four principal
apostles: Peter, Paul, James, and John; the senior
is occupied with Studies in the Old Testament.

3. Instruction as to the Church and Church His-
tory.

Sabbath-school teachers ought to be informed as
to the nature of the Church and the purposes of its
organization — its Doctrine, Government, Worship, and
Discipline. Also as to the history of the Church, at
least in its general outlines ; e. g., Under the Old
Testament ; IJnder the New ; In the Apostolic Age ;
During the Dark Ages ; The Reformation, and par-
ticularly as to the history of our own denomination.

4. Instruction in the Art of Teaching.

THE TEACHERS' NORMAL CLASS yj

a. How to prepare a lesson.

The first essential to teaching is knowing. There
is a great difference between knowing the lesson and
knowing about the lesson. It is possible to spend
much time and read many lesson helps, and yet come
to the class wholly unprepared to teach. The Nor-
mal Course should teach teachers how to study.

b. How to approach a class.

It is a high art. How to open the door of the
heart to the entrance of the word, and how to adapt
the word for entrance through the open door, can
only be learned by the study of the class and of the
lesson in its relation to the class.

c. How to secure attention.

Dr. Trumbull says: ''Preparedness amounts to
just nothing at all unless the teacher has and holds
attention of the scholar. Without the attention of
the scholar, the best teacher in the world cannot be a
teacher to that scholar."

Shakespeare says :

"The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark,
When neither is attended."

And the poorest teacher can do no worse than the
best teacher when neither has attention. A visit to
some Sabbath Schools would lead one to think that
the art of securing attention is one of the lost arts.

d. How to ask questions.

Asking printed questions from a lesson leaflet can
hardly be called teaching. To be able to ask questions
in such a way as to convey to the mind of the scholar
the truth which you seem to be drawing from him is
worthy of painstaking endeavor. A brief course in
a well-conducted Normal Class will furnish sugges-
tions in the art of questioning which it would require
years of experience in teaching to discover.

e. How to use illustrations.

Every intelligent teacher knows the value of illus-

78 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

tration in teaching; but how to do it so that the illus-
tration will afford instruction and not be a mere
diversion from the lesson, is a high attainment. The
Normal Class should give valuable assistance here.

f. How to enforce practical lessons.

A vast amount of Sabbath-school effort is lost be-
cause truth is not taught practically. Dr. Wilcox well
says : "Many teachers make too much of the frame-
work of the lesson. They spend the time on points
of sacred history, geography, manners and customs.
As to the value of such information, there is a glamour
on the eyes of many Bible readers. Measurably such
information is needful to a clear idea of Scripture.
But the notion is that one may find something far
more edifying, spiritually, in knowing the distance
between Jerusalem and Jericho than in being able to
tell the number of miles from New York to Boston.'*

To spend time on these things to the neglect of
sanctifying and saving truths is to give stones for
bread, to feed the children on the husks while we
throw away the kernel. The Normal Class should
train the teacher rightly to divide the word of truth.

g. How to conduct a review.

Review day is like a night-mare in the day-dreams
of many teachers. They have no definite purpose in
regard to it, only to fill in the time in some way and
get past it for another three months. Now review
day ought to be the raciest and most profitable of all
the days of the quarter. To make it so, it must be
the day for which all the other days are made. The
Normal Class should teach how to make it so.

5. Instruction in the work of winning souls.

"He that winneth souls is wise" ; and to win souls,
one must be wise. The Sabbath-school work which
does not result in souls brought to Christ is a failure.
Better to let souls perish in ignorince than to bring
them into the light of the Gospel and leave them still

THE TEACHERS' NORMAL CLASS 79

unsaved. The teacher must yearn over the members
of his class with such love as the apostle expresses
when he says : *'My little children of whom I travail
in birth again until Christ be formed in you."
The Normal Class should teach —

a. Personal work for the salvation of souls.

b. How to use the Bible in personal work.

c. How to answer excuses.

d. How to persuade men to receive Christ.

e. How to persuade men to unite with the
Church.

Young- gentlemen, does it not startle you to think
of the multitude of teachers entrusted with the care of
souls, who yet have not the remotest idea how to
lead them to Christ? Is it not the duty of pastors to
hold Normal Classes for the instruction of teachers in
the art of soul-winning?

How should a Normal Class he Conducted?

1. Select the best materials for it.

After forming acquaintance with the members of
his congregation, the pastor will form an opinion of
the qualifications and possibilities of each person.
He should seek to awaken in each a profound sense
of the magnitude and importance of the Sabbath-
school work and what could be done in the way of
preparation for it. He will soon gather about him a
band ''whose hearts God has touched," and with
these he is ready to begin. It would not be wise to
exclude any from its privileges, but care should be
taken to see that the best do not exclude themselves.

2. Outline the plan of study.

It is of great importance that the Normal Class be
formed with a specific aim, and that the members

8o THE PEOPLE AT WORK

when they enter the class know precisely what you
propose to do; and make sure when the course closes,
that they feel that the thing proposed has been done.
The Board of Publication of the Presbyterian Church
in 1905 issued a book outlining a Normal Course. It
is entitled 'The Westminster Teacher Training
Course," and embraces the following:

1. Seven lessons on the books of the New Testa-
ment.

2. Six lessons on Church History.

3. Nine lessons in Christian Doctrine.

4. Four lessons on Christian Service in Win-
ning Souls.

5. Eight lessons on the Church.

6. Six lessons on the Church at work in the
Sunday School.

This is intended as a text-book for use in Normal
training. The outline shows its scope.

Another text-book, prepared by Jesse Lyman Hurl-
but, contains the following course:

1. Four lessons on The Book and Its Books.

2. Six lessons in Bible History.

3. Six lessons in Bible Geography.

4. Six lessons in Bible Institutions.

5. Six lessons on The Sunday School.

6. Six lessons on The Sunday-school Teacher.

7. Six lessons on The Sunday-school Pupil.

I do not give unqualified endorsement to either of
these courses. Let the pastor make out his own
course, adapted to his field.

3. Fix a certain number of lessons to be embraced
in the course.

Bishop Vincent says: 'The movement must not
involve too much work, or too much time. Instead
of inaugurating a meeting which shall be continued
for all time, let those who are interested agree to
organize for ten or twelve special meetings. A lim-

THE TEACHERS' NORMAL CLASS 8i

ited number of meetings will be attended by persons
who could not pledge themselves to be regular at-
tendants for a long series of services."

By this method you can choose the most favorable
season of the year.

4. A Normal Course may embrace a series of lec-
tures or papers.

Such subjects as: The Scripture Warrant for the
Sabbath School; The Relation of Sabbath School to
the Church; The Sabbath School as a Missionary
Agency; The Qualifications of Teachers, and Visit-
ing the Sick, would be appropriate. The pastor, or
teachers, or others, could prepare them.

5. The course should provide for spiritual culture.

This is the crowning preparation for the Sabbath-
school teacher as it is also of the ministry. Devo-
tional exercises, testimonies of experience, seeking for
the presence and power of the Holy Spirit : a course
of study on these lines is greatly needed and would
tend to sanctify all other gifts and attainments.

LECTURE IX:

THE PASTOR AND THE TEACHERS'
MEETING

Most pastors cannot find time to conduct a series
of Normal classes every year. But such pastors can-
not find time for Sabbath-school work at all. The
pastor has an especial duty to the young; his specific
duty to them is through the Sabbath School; he can
best serve them by training their teachers; and, in
addition to the special Normal Training courses at
intervals, he should take time regularly for the weekly
Teachers' Meeting. Doing the two things will make
it easier to find the time.

If it is true that a church can be best built up
through the Sabbath School, then the young pastor
will do well to plan certain, definite, permanent work
here. The work of the pastor in the Sabbath School
should be done in such a way as to secure two things :

a. That it will affect and influence the whole
school.

b. That on the Sabbath all his energies of body
and mind will be reserved for the pulpit.

These two ends are best secured by his teaching the
teachers : first in the Normal Class ; and second in the
Teachers' Meeting.

What is the Idea of the Teachers' Mee'tingf

I. It is not exclusively for the benefit of the

teachers.
Marion Lawrence in How to Conduct a Sunday
School emphasizes this point. He says: "The true

83

THE TEACHERS' MEETING 83

teachers' meeting is no more exclusively for the
teachers than it is for the officers ; nor is it for either
of these to the exclusion of several other classes. Its
intent is to aid all those who have anything to do
with the management of the school."

2. The Teachers' Meeting is not for controversy.
Dr. Schauffler in his Ways of Working says:

"The teachers' meeting should not be a debating so-
ciety. There is always danger of this. In every
school there are some men, and women, too, who are
argumentatively inclined. As soon as they strike any
question that will bear discussion they grow com-
bative. It matters not what the debate is, if the de-
baters are allowed to have their own way they will
ruin the meeting; for the majority of the teachers
have come to the meeting, not for discussion, but for
help to handle their classes on the following Sunday.
If such discussions are allowed to be carried on, this
class of teachers will soon tire of the meeting and will
stay away."

To the same effect Bishop Vincent writes : "Too
often mere controversy arises on obscure passages,
trifling points and doctrinal inferences, and this con-
troversy is sustained by two or three interested parties,
while the majority of the teachers are annoyed be-
yond measure. At first the teachers attend this meet-
ing. But soon their interest wanes. They allow
trifling obstacles to prevent their attendance, and I
am not surprised that the teachers' meeting is un-
popular."

Evidently these two great Sabbath-school instruc-
tors have the same doleful picture before their minds
of the teachers' meeting talked to death by senseless
controversialists. The pastor must let it be under-
stood that such troublers should get up a debating so-
ciety of their own and find their own audiences.

3. It is not for social enjoyment.

84 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

Doubtless much of the very highest social enjoy-
ment will result from it, but this is purely incidental.
Here again Dr. Schauffler sounds a note of warning:
"This sometimes happens. The young men and
maidens gather and are full of their fun. They begin
to pass jokes and smart sayings, and are filled with
the spirit of banter. This is all well enough in its
way and at the proper time; but it will kill any
teachers' meeting in the long run. The serious
teachers will weary of it, and will show their feelings
by staying away. There is a time for everything
under the sun; and the teachers' meeting is not the
time for polite sky-larking."

4. One object of the teachers' meeting is to study
the lesson.

On this point the doctors seem to differ. Dr.
Schauffler says : "The teachers' meeting is one for
the study of the lesson. In theory all teachers ought
to come to the meeting with the lesson prepared; at
least in its outline facts. But as a matter of fact
most of the teachers do not find time for this, and
for that reason I say the meeting must take up the
lesson from the very beginning, and the leader see
to it that the teachers know the lesson facts." On
the other hand, Bishop Vincent says: "The teachers'
meeting is not an adult Bible Class for the study of
the subject-matter of the next Sunday's lesson.
Many teachers' meetings have been utterly ruined by
this false conception of its mission."

My own opinion is that Dr. Vincent is right ideally,
and that Dr. Schauffler is right practically, and that
you will have to combine the practical with the ideal.
It will be found necessary to study the lesson as one
feature of the meeting.

5. Another object is to digest the lesson.

You are familiar with the fact that when the
preacher has the materials fully collected for his ser-

THE TEACHERS' MEETING 85

mon there still remains a very important work in di-
gesting these materials and constructing a sermon.
Nor is the minister prepared to preach the sermon
until he has passed it through his own personal ex-
perience, that his own personality may be stamped
on it. The Sabbath-school lesson must pass through
a similar process in the minds of the teachers. To
facilitate and perfect this work is one important aim
of the teachers' meeting.

6. To formulate plans for teaching.

It is well to keep in mind the distinction between
the teachers' meeting and the Normal Class. The
Normal Class is for the general study of the Bible;
the teachers' meeting is for the study of a particular
lesson : the former gives general instruction in the
Art of Teaching; the latter gives special instruction
as to the best method of teaching the lesson for the
next Sabbath. How this will be done will appear
later.

7. It is for devotional exercises connected with
the lesson.

In our great concern about intellectual preparation,
we are in danger of undervaluing the devotional.
We cultivate the head, and too often neglect the
heart. The remarks of Dr. Schauffler on this point
are particularly good :

'The work that teachers have in hand has its in-
tensely devotional side and without much prayer will
not succeed. So opportunity should be given for
requests for prayer, and for a statement of difficulties
and encouragements, after which the meeting can
unite in prayer, or thanksgiving. Let there never be
less than two prayers, and often more. Let prayers
be short, strong, specific, not running over all the
world and all time, but for that which just at present
lies nearest the hearts of the teachers. Teachers
should be strongly encouraged to bring special cases

86 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

and ask prayer in their behalf. If we had such
prayerful meetings we would have more conversions."

II

The Advantages of the Teachers' Meeting.

1. It helps to secure the thorough study of the
lesson.

Many teachers depend on a few hurried glances at
lesson helps on the Sabbath morning to carry them
through. It is easy to see that what they bring to
their classes is like the froth that rises in the pail at a
hurried milking, rather than like the cream which
rises when the milk stands quietly cooling in the milk-
pans. Let us not chide the hard-worked teachers
about doing their solemn work in this slip-shod way,
until we have provided a good teachers' meeting to
which they can come and secure time for mature re-
flection on the lesson.

2. It gives inexperienced teachers the help of the
experienced.

That a large proportion of Sabbath School teaching
is entrusted to very young and inexperienced hands,
is a serious drawback in the work. A well-conducted
teachers' meeting will, in a measure, correct this evil.

3. It assists teachers to arrange truth in com-
municable form.

Teaching involves the transfer of knowledge from
the mind of the teacher to the mind of the scholar,
and particularly in stimulating his mind and quicken-
ing his heart in religious things. A teachers' meeting
which stops with getting the truths of the lesson into
the minds of the teachers is far from the ideal. That
may be a teaching meeting, but it is not a Teachers'
meeting.

4. It gives unity to the Sabbath-school instruction.
We have a uniform system of International Les-

THE TEACHERS' MEETING 87

sons; it does not follow that we have uniform teach-
ing. Much is gained if the minds of all are con-
centrated on the same general lines of doctrine and
duty. Members from the same family are in different
classes. If, when they compare notes at the close
of the day, it is found that widely divergent or perhaps
even contradictory views have been taught, the effect
is to weaken the impression and discredit the teachers
and the Bible. On the other hand, if it be found
that all have received the same general instruction, the
impression will be doubled. To do this, the teachers
need to study together under the same leader.

5. It helps to adapt the lessons to the locality.
On this, Bishop Vincent remarks: "Let the lesson

be studied with an eye to the peculiarities of the local-
ity in which it is taught. What is there in this lesson
for our community? Are there important moral is-
sues brought to the surface, such as Sabbath Ob-
servance, Purity of Speech, Reverence for Parents?
Which truth shall we make emphatic? Thus, teachers
may agree upon a particular point of attack, and such
concentration will prove of immense value to that
community."

6. It aids the teachers in adapting the lesson to
the peculiarities of each class.

While the same doctrines and duties may be taught
to all, they should be taught in a very different way.
Adaptability is one essential to good teaching. The
comparison of plans in the Teachers' meeting will aid
each teacher in selecting the method best suited to his
scholars.

Ill

How to Secure Attendance.

I. Have a convenient and attractive place of meet-
ing.

88 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

Bishop Vincent says : "This means a cheerful, com-
fortable room, fitted up in good style, with tables,
chairs, carpets, maps, blackboards, cabinet of archae-
ological curiosities and illustrative apparatus, library
of books — especially on the art of teaching — maga-
zines and other periodicals." We might say of this,
as people often say of Covenanter principles, "that
will do for the millennium." In the meantime, aim in
that direction.

2. Select carefully the time for meeting.

a. Not on the Sabbath. The pastor has other
use for his time and strength on that day,
and so have all others.

b. Not on prayer-meeting evening.

Some regard this as the most favorable time, (i)
It saves an extra evening. (2) It secures the at-
tendance of teachers at prayer-meeting. (3) It en-
courages prayer for the Sabbath School. (4) Where
the golden text is used in the prayer-meeting, it is
easy to combine the two. But there are reasons
against it which outweigh all these considerations,
the chief of which is that each of these should have
an evening to itself.

Lawrence says : "It is desirable to give a whole
evening to it and this will be found little enough when
its real value is understood. A teachers' meeting
tacked on before or after another meeting, while a
great deal better than none at all, falls far short of
the possibilities of this agency. As to the best time
in the week, we favor Friday night, if it does not con-
flict with the prayer-meeting. . . . However, any
night in the week, provided you can have the whole
evening, is better than any other night on which you
can have but part of the evening. Some will say
they cannot spend two nights in the week giving one
^ach to the prayer-meeting and the teachers' meeting.

THE TEACHERS' MEETING 89

We have often heard this and used to beUeve it; but
our observation is that in practice it is not so. If
the two meetings are properly conducted, the one
should create a relish for the other."

3. Limit the time to be spent in it.

Some good people love to sing of a happy land —

*'Where congregations ne'er break up
And Sabbaths have no end,"

but the ideal Teachers' meeting is not conducted on
that plan. There is no surer way to wear out a
teachers' meeting than to permit it to drag its weary
length along interminably. We cannot successfully
introduce the measures that belong to an "endless
life" into the things of time. Lawrence says : ''An
hour and a quarter is quite short enough: an hour
and a half is much better for the whole meeting."
This is a liberal allowance, in my judgment.

4. Guard against the waste of time.

Every teachers' meeting, like every prayer-meet-
ing, has its time-killer. It is easy to fritter away a
precious hour speculating about something God has
not revealed. The pastor should exercise his office
as a Ruling Elder and force the meeting to run in
proper channels.

5. Never postpone the meeting on account of the
fewness of the numbers present.

It always tends to discourage and break down the
meeting, if it is held irregularly. Dr. Thomas SprouU
used to say that when you hear the children ask:
"Mamma, are we going to have worship to-night?"
you may be sure you are in a home where family
worship is only occasional. It is a bad sign if, when
the regular night for teachers' meeting arrives, people
are heard inquiring, "Are we going to have teachers'
meeting to-night?" Of course we are.

90 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

IV

Hozv to Conduct the Teachers' Meeting.

1. Usually the pastor should be the teacher.

The only exception to this rule is when he is dis-
abled or necessarily absent, or when there is some one
who can do it better.

2. The teachers should study the lesson before-
hand.

What has been said above as to teaching the lesson
in the teachers' meeting, is in no way inconsistent
with this point. Vincent tells of a pastor who kept up
a successful teachers' meeting for many years, who
always expected any of his teachers to recite the lesson
from memory immediately after the opening of the
meeting. The law of the Kingdom is, "To him that
hath shall be given." The one who brings nothing
to the meeting should not expect to carry much away.

3. It is well to secure a brief analysis of the lesson.
The central truths of the lesson must be grasped

and arranged before they can be efifectively taught.
This requires a careful analysis. One may be ap-
pointed beforehand to give this outline, or the pas-
tor may do it himself.

4. The practical lessons to be taught should be de-
termined upon.

It is not enough that each teacher be asked to sug-
gest a practical lesson, but these should be considered,
and a few of them selected and firmly fixed in the
minds of all, to be enforced in the classes.

5. There should be a comparison of views, where
the lesson-helps differ.

It is an element of weakness in the teacher if un-
certainty exists as to the meaning of the lesson. It
is hurtful if different teachers give different or op-

THE TEACHERS' MEETING 91

posing interpretations. A prayerful effort should be
made to reach the mind of the vS])irit.

6. Anecdotes and illustrations may be called for.
These should be studied with reference to their

suitableness, and the pastor should rule out anything
questionable or lial^le to be abused.

7. Several specific thoughts may be assigned re-
spectively to each of a dozen teachers for pre-
sentation at the meeting. This method is com-
mended by Lawrence and he calls it The Angle
Method. He suggests the following:

Api)roach : i. e., Last Lesson and
circumstances leading up to this les-
son.

The Lesson Story : i. e., Told in his
own words.

Analysis: i. e., Outline for studying
and teaching the lesson.
References: Parallel passages bear-
ing on the lesson.

l>iography: Names of persons,
classes and nations mentioned.
Orientalisms: Oriental customs and
manners referred to in lesson.
Princi])al Teachings : Doctrinal and
practical.

First Step: How to secure atten-
tion.

I'rimary Work : Features best
adapted to children.
Objects: i. e., Such as can be shown
in class in object teaching.
Illustrations: Incidents or facts il-
lustrative of the lesson.

Angle No. 12. Practical Points: Application to
every-day life.

In conclusion let me say that the conscientious pas-

Angle No.

I.

Angle No.

2.

Angle No.

3-

Angle No.

4-

Angle No.

5-

Angle No.

6.

Angle No.

7-

Angle No.

8.

Angle No.

9-

Angle No.

10

Angle No.

IT

92 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

tor will form a high ideal as to what the teachers'
meeting ought to be, and will sacrifice much to real-
ize that ideal. Determine that your Sabbath School
shall be equipped with genuine teachers. Dr. Trum-
bull says : "How many legs does a calf have, if you
count his tail one? Counting a tail a leg, doesn't make
it one. A calf has only four legs, however you may
count them. How many teachers are in all the Sun-
day Schools in the United States? There are two
ways of answering that question and the answers
would differ widely. It makes a vast difference to
a Sunday School whether it has teachers who fill their
places, or only teachers who hold them."

Young gentlemen, the conclusion of the whole mat-
ter is this : Teach the teachers, in the Normal Class,
that they may know the Bible as a whole ; and that
they may be trained in the art of teaching: and
teach the teachers in the teachers' meeting, that they
may know the particular lesson for the next Sabbath
and how to adapt it to their particular classes. Teach
the teachers and you will teach the zvhole school.

LECTURE X

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SABBATH
SCHOOL

The aim of the Sabbath School is threefold, namely :
Instruction, Conversion, and Edification. Whatever
in our Sabbath-school management does not conduce
to one or other, or all of these results, should be laid
aside; and whatever changes are necessary to pro-
mote these ends should be made. This leads us to
consider the organization and management of the
school.

The Superintendent.

I. He should be chosen by the session.

This is a matter on which views differ. Some say,
by the school ; but manifestly this is too sacred a trust
to be placed in the hands of children, many of whom
are not even members of the congregation. Others
maintain that he should be chosen by the teachers.
They are especially interested in the work; are well
qualified to make the selection ; and this method would
promote harmony between the superintendent and the
workers. It is, however, liable to abuses. If the
superintendent selects the teachers and they choose the
superintendent, the control of the school is left in the
hands of a little circle. In my opinion the selection
of the superintendent belongs to the session, for the
following reasons :

93

94 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

a. Because the session represents the whole con-
gregation.

The people choose the pastor and elders ; and, when
these elect the superintendent, he represents the whole
people.

b. Because the session is responsible for the
work of the school.

They are the spiritual overseers of the flock. To
take out of their hands the choice of the superintendent
of the Sabbath School, is to hamper them in fulfilling
their trust.

c. Because this tends to promote harmony be-
tween the session and the school.

This is not less important than to have harmony
between the superintendent and the teachers.

d. In order to maintain the authority of the
session over the school.

If the chief officer of the school is chosen inde-
pendently of the session, it is difficult to see how their
authority would remain unimpaired. Authority must
go with responsibility. For these, and other reasons,
I think it is safe to lay down the rule that, in gen-
eral, the session should elect the superintendent. It
does not follow that he should be of their own number.

2. The qualifications of a good superintendent.

An old gentleman, speaking in one of our Sabbath-
school conventions, said : ''Mr. President : I think
that God has not made many good superintendents."
The probabilities are that the old man was wrong in
placing the responsibility for the scarcity on God.
Men have not done their part in cultivating their di-
vine gifts, and the Church has not done her part in
setting aside the manifestly disqualified, and in seek-
ing out those whom God has properly endowed for
this great office.

The superintendent should be, —

SABBATH-SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 95

a. An eminent Christian.

Dr. Plummer divides professors into three classes,
viz., unconverted professors, doubtful Christians, and
eminent Christians. Men have sometimes questioned
whether a non-professor, or even an unconverted
man, might not be a teacher in the Bible Class; but
no one is so blind as to suggest that an unregenerate
man might be chosen as superintendent. Doubtful
Christians go in a zig-zag course and make the road
to heaven so long that there is danger that, in the
brevity .of life, they will not get there. Such Chris-
tians are not safe guides for little children. All
superintendents should be chosen from the class of
eminent Christians.

b. He should be orthodox.

It has been said, "Orthodoxy is my doxy ; hetero-
doxy is your doxy." I have no objection to that way
of putting it. The dangerous people are those who
pride themselves in having no doxy at all, or rather
who esteem all doxies as equally good.

(i) He should be evangelically orthodox.

There is a standard of evangelical orthodoxy, rec-
ognized by all evangelical Christians. Unitarians
protested because they found themselves excluded
from the Conference of Christian Churches held in
New York in 1905. No one who calls in question
the inspiration of the Scriptures and their consequent
inerrancy and infallibility, or who denies the true
Divinity of our Lord, should preside over a Christian
Sabbath School.

(2) He should be denominationally orthodox.

I do not hesitate to say that any Church that has
a right to exist as a separate denomination is bound to
select its superintendents from men who hold with
unwavering fidelity to the faith and practices of the
Church.

96 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

c. He should be a man of practical plans and
executive ability.

It does not require great practical talent to fill the
office as it is frequently done, i. e., by opening and
closing the school by singing, reading, and prayer.
But to conduct these devotions so as to be real wor-
ship ; to select and direct the teachers ; to govern
the school, grade the classes, and visit in the homes
of the scholars requires a many-sided man.

d. He should be sympathetic.

In no department of Church v^ork is it more im-
portant to have a sympathetic heart. He must be
like the Good Shepherd of v^hom it is said: ''He
shall gather the lambs in His arms; and carry them
in His bosom."

3. The duties of the superintendent.

a. To conduct the general exercises of the
school.

b. To receive and classify the scholars.

In too many schools the scholars are left to classify
themselves. This is an end to all order.

c. To aid in the selection of teachers.

The question of how teachers should be chosen is
an open one. Certainly the superintendent should
have a voice and much weight in the choice. That
the teacher retiring from the charge of a class should
bring in another to take his place without consultation
with the superintendent, is not allowable. The class
belongs to the school, not to the teacher; and the
school is under the care of the superintendent.

d. He may review the lesson each Sabbath.
The time occupied in this should be very brief, but

it is the right and duty of the superintendent, if he
is capable of it, to sum up the work of the hour.

e. To arrange for the quarterly review.

f. To visit the scholars in their homes.

All that was said as to the duty of the pastor in

SABBATH-SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 97

this regard may Avith equal propriety be applied to
the superintendent.

II

The Teachers.

1. Who should choose the teachers?

a. The superintendent should have much to do
with this.

It is not just to hold the superintendent responsible
for the success of the school, and yet ignore his
authority in the appointment of the teachers. His
constant contact with the school affords opportunity
for him to decide as to the work being done in the
classes.

b. The session should be consulted.

The session should have a permanent committee
on the Sabbath School, part of whose office should
be to consult with the superintendent in securing suit-
able teachers.

c. The pastor should have a veto power in all
the appointments.

As the pastor of the congregation, and the superior
officer of the Sabbath School, he should have the
final voice as to who may be set to impart instruction
to the members of his flock, for all of whom he
must give account to God. One of the great defects
in the modern Sabbath School is the irresponsible way
in which teachers are chosen.

2. What are the qualifications of teachers?

a. They should have a good mental endowment.
Scholars must have respect for the mental qualities
of their teachers or they will not be profited by their
instruction ; and it is well to bear in mind in selecting
teachers that the children of this day are not slow
to detect a deficiency. The Sabbath-school teacher

98 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

is weighed in the balance with the day-school teacher
and should not suffer by the comparison.

b. They should have good social qualities.
Too little attention is usually paid to the social

element in the Sabbath-school class. This is one
reason why children usually prefer young people for
their instructors. These have a social sympathy with
them which the staid old elder, who knows so much
more, may lack. The teacher that can enter into the
social nature of the children has a divine gift. This
helps to the awakening of a class spirit that may
become wonderfully influential. The interchange of
visits as between teacher and pupil, kindly attention
in sickness, deep interest in all that concerns the
welfare of the scholars, even extending to their school
studies, their occupations, their life plans : all are con-
nected with good teaching.

c. They should be of exemplary life.

True spiritual power in teaching cannot be found
apart from consistent, upright living; and, it is quite
possible among Christian young people to find many
of high purpose and high ideals of life. Habits of
reading aft'ord a good test; it will usually be found
that young men and young women who enjoy the
Bible and have a desire to find out what books may
be classed as good literature, and to read these, —
such young men and young women are likely to be
of right habits of life. Theater-goers, dancers, and
card-players are not good teachers, and will not often
be found seeking places in the school. The personal
habits of the teacher are of the utmost importance.
of course; and any teacher will make sacrifices rather
than mislead those following in his steps. The to-
bacco user who will not give up that habit for the
sake of the children committed to him is not suffi-
ciently impressed with his responsibility. In the
long run, as pastors, you will find the noblest of lives

SABBATH-SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 99

ready to be guided wisely into proper methods of
teaching. It is one of the beautiful things in a pas-
tor's life.

HI

The Exercises of the School.

I. The devotional exercises.

a. All should be required to be present.
There are many, both in Sabbath School and

Church, who regard the devotional exercises as mere
preliminaries, and, if they are in time for the teach-
ing of the lesson, they are satisfied. This false view
must be corrected. If prizes are given for prompt
attendance, they should be conditioned absolutely on
being present for the devotional exercises.

The difficulty about attendance on the closing exer-
cises arises where advanced Bible classes are taught
in separate rooms. They often find the time too
short, and, becom.ing interested, are unwilling to re-
spond to the closing bell. In ordinary cases attend-
ance should be made imperative. Where there is
a large Infant Department they may have their own
closing exercises.

b. They must be conducted wnth reverence.
Never begin until perfect quiet is secured. Per-
mit nothing to be carried on that will divert the mind
from the exercises of worship. Secure reverence in
outward form, as essential to heart reverence.

c. Use familiar Psalms and tunes.

A mistake is sometimes made in seeking to adapt
the Psalms to the lesson, rather than choosing that
which the children can sing. In most schools it is
better to use the same tune always to the same
Psalm. Children love to sing and should be en-
couraged to memorize Psalms. Insist that the

100 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

teachers join in the singing. Do not permit young
men, and maidens in their teens, to form the idea
that they are too big to sing, or that it is more poHte
to sit with closed lips.

d. The prayers should be appropriate and
brief.

Dr. Amos R. Wells says : 'Tn no way can more
Christianity be taught in less time than by a good
prayer. And yet," he adds, 'T know of no point in
Sunday-school management regarding which super-
intendents are more careless. The children must
listen to Magellan prayers, that circumnavigate the
globe; to mechanical prayers, cast in stereotyped
forms; to officious prayers, that volunteer to teach
the coming lesson; to peacock prayers, that flaunt big
words and fine phrases ; to wrinkled prayers, dealing
with experiences into which the children will not
grow for three decades.

'Tn some schools the superintendent always makes
the prayer himself, in the same terms, and tones, and
order, and for the same things. Elsewhere, he in-
vites others to perform this service, but, with pitiless
impartiality, calls upon all that will, whether they
are capable or totally unfit."

Having thus pointedly described the evil. Dr. Wells
lays down the following points :

"(i) No one should be invited to pray merely
for policy's sake.

"(2) Give notice beforehand to the one expected
to pray.

"(3) Insist on all assuming a reverent attitude.

"(4) Sometimes have silent prayer, the super-
intendent closing.

"(5) Occasionally hold a prayer-meeting at the
close of the lesson hour."

In regard to the last he suggests : "This will do
much to inspire a deeper spirit of worship; that is,

SABBATH-SCHOOL MANAGEMENT loi

if the scholars themselves take part. And these
Sunday-school prayer-meetings are magnificent op-
portunities for drawing the net. Do not hold them
so frequently as to be burdensome. Keep them brief
and earnest. Let the teachers work for them in their
classes and use them as tests for their teaching.
Above all, expect conversions in them, and, if you
are faithful and faith-filled, you will get them."
e. See that all have Bibles and use them.
The dearth of Bibles in many of our Sabbath
Schools is a disgrace. One of the striking features
of John Wanamaker's great school is the Bible in
the hands of every scholar, and an incident at the
opening of each session of the school is the call for
the show of Bibles.

2. The study in the classes.

a. Secure to each class the utmost privacy pos-
sible.

Even a curtain, slipping on wires and enclosing the
class, is of value. Churches should be planned to
provide separate rooms for classes.

b. Secure the classes against interruption.

A method should be devised that will enable the
secretary, the treasurer, and the librarian to do their
work without interrupting the teacher. It is a great
hardship to have some general officer pounce down
upon the class just when the teacher by patient, ear-
nest effort has secured attention. Each class should
have its monitor.

3. What should be taught in the Sabbath Schools?

a. Direct, systematic Bible study.

Whether the International lessons, or some other
scheme, is an open question.

b. Memorizing the Catechisms, Psalms and
Scripture.

It is a weakness in our training of the youth that
there is so little memorizing in these days.

102 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

c. There should be a class for inquirers.
When it is known that the direct and persistent aim
of the school is conversion, and that converts are to
be united with the Church, it should also be under-
stood that special attention will be given to the awak-
ened and inquiring. They should have the instruction
of a very sincere, intelligent and experienced teacher.

4. The collection.

a. There should be a Sabbath-school collection.
This is a part of Christian culture, a means of

grace and a fountain of joy. Remember the words
of Christ when He said : 'It is more blessed to give
than to receive."

b. It should be for a special object, clearly un-
derstood.

The children should know the object to which their
gifts are devoted ; and that in giving for that purpose,
they are giving to the Lord.

c. The object should be something outside of
the school.

The congregation should support the school. Then
the money of the school may be devoted to congrega-
tional objects if that is more needful than the public
work of the Church. If the children understand that
they are giving money to buy books and candy for
themselves it will be difficult to impress them that
they are thereby giving to Christ.

d. The giving should be done as a service to
God.

Some schools always speak of it as presenting the
offering to the Lord; and some formally dedicate it
to God by prayer. This should not be carried to an
extreme.

5. Review of the school, weekly —

a. Should be by superintendent, or pastor;

b. Should be brief and pointed ;

c. Should be practical and impressive.

SABBATH-SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 103

IV

Should the Sabbath School have a Lihraryf

1. The objections to having a library.

a. The books are often injurious: i.e., wrong
in morals; unsound in doctrine; unfit for
Sabbath reading ; and mentally dissipating.

b. The best books are seldom read.

c. The attention of the school is diverted by the
distribution.

d. Dissatisfaction is bred among the scholars.

e. The money is better spent for papers and
prizes.

2. The advantages of a library.

a. Provides reading matter for those who have

b. Enables teachers to superintend the scholars'
reading.

c. Aids in securing attendance.

It is evident from the discussions, that in many
cases the library has not been a blessing ; it is equally
evident that the evils are not inherent and necessary,
but may be avoided and the library be made an effi-
cient arm of the school ; and, finally, that it is a mere
incident in Sabbath-school management, and has in
many cases been greatlv over-estimated. Where it is
introduced, the greatest care should be exercised in
the selection of the books.

V

Evils to be Guarded Against or Corrected.

Before closing this lecture I wish to refer to sev-
eral evils that have seriously damaged the good that
would otherwise have resulted from Sabbath-school
work.

104 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

1. The incompetence of teachers.

It is universally admitted that this is a prevalent
and very serious evil. I do not emphasize it to find
fault with the teachers, but to urge pastors to train
their teachers. The world is full of a wonderful
latent power in the devotion of earnest Sabbath-
school teachers. Train them.

2. Irregularity of attendance.

This is another crying evil. The great discrepancy
between the enrollment and the average attendance
tells the story. The best corrective that I know, after
the personal influence of the superintendent and the
teacher, is the prize system. I do not share the
scruples of some about giving rewards to children for
faithfulness in doing their duty.

3. Tardiness in coming.

I should seek to correct this by confining the prizes
to those who are present at the opening. It is not
well to allow absence from the devotional exercises
r^nd reward attendance on the class studies.

4. Disorder in the room.

The only hope is in getting good order established
as the fixed habit of the school. One bad boy can
keep a whole class in a rumpus; and one disorderly
class can make trouble for the whole school. The
pastor's visits to the school will tend to promote good
order. What to do with the noisy, unruly scholars
is a great problem. One thing is settled, viz., that
they should not be permitted to remain in the school
as disorderly scholars. Another is that they should
remain. It is useless to scold the school in general;
find the boy that starts the disorder, then devise a
way for making him over.

SABBATH-SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 105

5. Children regarding the Sabbath School as a
substitute for the Church service is an evil
that should never be condoned; much less
parents regarding the Sabbath School as a sub-
stitute for home instruction. The Sabbath
School is not to supplant either the Church or
the home.

LECTURE XI
THE GRADED SYSTEM

Much of our Sabbath-school work is superficial.
This department of Church activity is constantly de-
manding and receiving attention ; and yet it is
generally conceded that the results are somewhat dis-
appointing. An argument was made against the use
of tobacco, that statistics would show that a large
proportion of the prisoners in the penitentiaries had
been tobacco users. The reply was made, that sta-
tistics would also show that a large percentage of the
prisoners in the penitentiary had been Sunday-school
scholars.

Nor is the failure merely that the children, after
spending five or ten years in the Sabbath School go
out without being converted; but they frequently go
out without being instructed. They do not know the
Holy Scriptures which are able to make them wise
unto salvation. Improvements in the methods of
work are now being earnestly sought. Prominent
among schemes for improvement is the graded system.

As far back as 1895 ^^'^^ Synod recommended Sab-
bath-school officers and teachers to make a special
study of the graded system with a view to introducing
it into our Sabbath Schools. (Min. of Synod, 1895,
P- I95-)

I
What is Included in a Graded System?

I. Graded departments.

Lawrence, in How to Conduct a Sunday School,
106

THE GRADED SYSTEM 107

recommends the division of the school into seven de-
partments. This includes a Home Department and a
Teachers' Training- Department.

The Committee on Education of the International
Sunday School Association recommends five depart-
ments to be named as follows :

a. The Primary Department.

b. The Junior Department.

c. The Intermediate Department.

d. The Senior Department.

e. The Adult Department.

It is probable that in many of our Sabbath Schools
three departments will be found sufficient; yet, if we
are to have a uniform course of study, the department
grades should be uniform.

2. A graded classification of scholars in the several
departments.

The basis of this classification may be

a. According to age.

b. According to attainments.

Dr. Schauffler describes the grading in his school
as follows : "Two primary classes : In the one, go all
who cannot read. In the other, those who can read
easy words when printed on the blackboard. As soon
as they can read with facility they are transferred into
the intermediate school, where they are put in such
classes as their ages fit them for. In the intermediate
department all classes are graded according to age, the
ages stretching over three years ; e. g., eleven to four-
teen, twelve to fifteen, thirteen to sixteen. In the
higher department there are two grades: (a) Juniors,
from sixteen to eighteen; (b) Seniors, from eighteen
years upwards." According to this method the pri-
mary department is classified according to attain-
ments; the other departments according to age and
attainments.

The grading of the school into departments and

io8 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

the classification of the scholars should be carefully
made and maintained. On this point Lawrence says:
*Tt is one thing to grade a Sunday School, and Cjuite
another to keep it graded. It will be readily ob-
served that if teachers enroll in their classes any one
who may happen to apply for membership, and if
scholars are permitted to bring their friends pro-
miscuously into their own classes, the system of grad-
ing will soon be broken down." There must be a
superintendent for the whole school, who alone shall
have authority to classify the scholars.

3. The teachers should be graded.

This requires two things — a. The teachers should
be assigned to the department for which they are
especially qualified, b. Usually, they should not pass
with their scholars from one department to another.
The same principles should prevail here as in the pub-
lic schools. Successful teachers in one department
are not transferred to another. The scholars pass on,
the teacher remains, and, by long experience, becomes
a specialist in his own department. A teacher may
be allowed to carry his scholars through the successive
courses in one department, but should not pass from
one department to another.

4. A graded system of instruction.

In the International Sunday-school lesson the basis
of instruction is the same for all classes. The effort
is made in the preparation of Lesson Helps to adapt
the treatment of the lesson to children and to adults.
Very few Helps attempt anything beyond two grades.
When it is undertaken to establish a graded school,
it is necessary to adopt either an entirely different
system or a supplemental system to be used in con-
nection with the International lessons. The West-
minster System of Graded Supplemental Lessons by
James A. Worden, D.D., is published by the Presby-

THE GRADED SYSTEM 109

terian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School
Work, 1334 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.

1. The Westminster Supplemental System has five
grades or departments —

a. The Primary Department.

b. The Junior-intermediate Department.

c. The Senior-intermediate Department.

d. The Normal Department.

e. The Adult Department.

2. These five grades are divided into twelve
courses.

a. The Primary Department has one course.

b. The Junior-intermediate has four courses.

c. The Senior-intermediate has three courses.

d. The Normal has three courses.

e. The Adult has one continuous course.

A school graded according to the Westminster Sup-
plemental System would have five departments and
twelve stages of progress. A leaflet giving a full
description of the different courses of study by years
can be secured at the Presbyterian Book Rooms,
Pittsburgh.

3. The Bible Study Union (or Blakeslee) System
has four courses —

a. The Junior Course for the youngest classes.

b. The Intermediate Course for the boys and
girls.

c. The Progressive Course for the young people
and adults.

d. The Bible Class Course for the adults.

4. These four courses are divided into ten grades.

a. The Junior Course has three grades.

b. The Intermediate Course has three grades.

c. The Progressive Course has three grades.

d. The Bible Class has one continuous course.
The danger in such courses is that they may get

away from the Bible., Full instruction as to the

no THE PEOPLE AT WORK

Blakeslee System can be obtained by addressing The
Bible Study Publishing Co., 250 Devonshire St., Bos-
ton, Mass.

5. Stated examinations and promotions.

a. This is an essential part of the system.

It may be necessary to reach this result gradually,
but the graded system is not complete without it.
Dr. James A. Worden, who was for many years Gen-
eral Superintendent of Sabbath Schools in the Pres-
byterian Church, asks: "Shall there be examinations?"
and answers: — "This question must be left for each
school to determine for itself. Some schools will pro-
mote the scholars after requiring them to pass an
examination ; others will promote them simply on the
recommendation of the teachers." The difficulty with
the latter method is the tendency to lower the standard.

b. Promotion should be made at stated times.
Lawrence, on this point, recommends a regular pro-
motion day at least once a year, and that the promo-
tion should involve a change of seats if possible, and
that these promotions be made a prominent feature of
the school, the services being conducted by the pastor
and superintendent. Some schools give certificates of
promotion which are attractive and inexpensive; and
in some schools every child on leaving the primary
department is presented with a Bible.

c. Promotions should usually be on the basis of
attainments made.

The Sabbath School is an educational institution
and should approach more and more to the most ap-
proved educational methods ; and this means regular
examinations at stated periods and promotions based
on work successfully done. But the standard should
not be placed too high. Dr. Worden says: "We
w^ould call attention to the wisdom of making excep-
tions of all scholars whose attendance has been faith-
ful, whose conduct has been good, who have made

THE GRADED SYSTEM iii

honest efforts, and yet have failed to learn the supple-
mental lessons; and of passing such scholars and pro-
moting them on recommendation of their teachers."
Lawrence says : "Supplemental work should be car-
ried on as a feature of the grading of the school,
but should not be made a rigid and absolute condition
of promotion. Those who satisfactorily complete the
supplemental work may be promoted with honor, i. e.,
supplemental work should be made a condition of
earning the honors of the school, rather than a con-
dition of promotion."

One of our own ministers writes : ''We put upon
rolls of honor those scholars that pass, and condition
those who do not ; and if they fail at the end of one
year to fulfill the condition of the previous year we
take them out of the class and put them into what
we call the 'drone' class. No one has as yet reached
that class. Many have turned in the other direction
as they neared it."

I would emphasize the fact that there must be sym-
pathetic consideration for unfortunate children who
have no encouragement or assistance at home. Some
of these little ones have hard lives in the day-schools.
The Sabbath School should help them to bear their
trials and not increase them.

II

The Advantages of the Graded System.

1. It promotes uniformity in the classes.

It is impossible for a teacher to work effectively
when classes are made up haphazard, or by elective
affinity without reference to attainments.

2. It stimulates effort in order to secure promo-
tion.

112 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

Every one understands the operation of this prin-
ciple in school and college life.

3. It aids in storing the mind with truth.

The very idea of the graded system is to make a
thorough, systematic and prolonged study in the Bible.
Extended portions of Scripture are memorized ; texts
setting forth certain doctrines are grouped together
and committed; Psalms are learned by heart; the
Catechisms are mastered; the attainments made are
tested by examinations, and riveted in the memory
by frequent reviews. When such a system is in effi-
cient hands the result must be a great advance.

4. It increases respect for the Sabbath School.
Dr. Schauffler says: "The scholars themselves will

be pleased to see the methods to which they have be-
come accustomed in their daily life adopted in their
Sunday instruction. The child of to-day, in America
at least, respects the institution that compels him to
work, and gives him the consciousness of actual acqui-
sition. Children have been run after and coaxed and
bribed to come to the Sabbath School, and then cod-
dled and palavered and permitted to 'go as you please,'
until the whole affair has come to be the synonym for
that which is weak and effeminate and unpractical.
Men show their contempt for a book by calling it
'Sunday-school literature,' and for a political theory or
method by calling it 'Sunday-school politics.' "

The aim of the graded system is to make the Sab-
bath School a real school that will demand work of
its members and give them something real and sub-
stantial in return and thus lift this department of
Church work into a position of dignity and power
worthy of a divine institution.

I bespeak your especial attention to certain objec-
tions to the graded system, and to the caution neces-
sary in choosing an orthodox system.

THE GRADED SYSTEM 113

III
Objections to the Graded System.

1. That the time used in teaching the graded stu-
dies is needed for teaching the International
lesson.

Of course this applies only to schools using the
supplemental system. In the Blakeslee system the
whole time is given to the graded studies.

In reply to this objection a pastor of considerable
experience writes: "Invariably this objection comes
from teachers who give every evidence in their teach-
ing that they would not get over the lesson if they
had all day for it. Lack of system is their trouble,
rather than lack of time."

2. The scholars object because it necessitates
study.

This is the one thing in its favor : It does require
study. Teachers who thoroughly believe in the sys-
tem will overcome this objection. The pastor above
quoted says further: "We have lost no scholars as
yet because of its introduction, and even if we were
to lose some, that would not induce us to abandon it ;
for its operation is a powerful stimulus to the school
as a whole."

3. It breaks the tie between teacher and scholar.
This objection seems to have more weight. When

relations are what they should be a very strong bond
of affection grows up between the faithful teacher and
the pupils of his class. The same is true in our
public schools. The children are often greatly at-
tached to their teachers, and teachers to their scholars ;
but there is mutual joy to both teacher and scholar
when the separation comes through the promotion of
the scholar. And, in all above the primary depart-

114 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

ment, teacher and scholars may advance together
through the whole course included in any department.

IV

What System Should be Adopted?

This question I am not prepared to answer. Above
all else, the Bible must be offered in its purity. What
I have said bears particularly on the method of grad-
ing, not on the orthodoxy of either of the systems
mentioned. Of course, doubt on this point, even the
slightest doubt, would more than offset all the advan-
tages any system has to offer. The Westminster Sup-
plemental System is so called because it retains the
International lessons and provides a supplemental
course; the Blakeslee System drops the International
lessons and has an independent course of Bible study,
going through the Bible twice in the primary depart-
ment, and three times in the main school department.

In the Westminster system the grading is done, not
on the International lesson studies, but on the supple-
mental course. In the other system the grading is
mainly on the Bible studies. Until the Church takes
some action, each pastor and session should make a
careful study of the different systems and decide
which is best adapted to his own school. An eclectic
system which would use the Blakeslee system of Bible
studies and the Westminster as to the Catechism,
substituting Psalms for hymns, would secure the best
out of both systems. Some suggestions as to intro-
ducing the graded system will come in the next lecture ;
let me suggest that there is a life work here for some
ardent young Covenanter, preparing such a system.

LECTURE XII
THE HOME DEPARTMENT

W. A. Duncan, Ph. D., President of the Interna-
tional Home Department Association, writing in the
Sunday School Times of Nov. 4, 1899, says: "The
Home Department is no longer an experiment. In
numberless cases it has demonstrated its great useful-
ness and has shown that it is extraordinarily adapted
for the purpose of reaching those outside of the
Church and Sunday School. Therefore it has become
not merely the privilege, but the duty, of every Sun-
day School to organize a Home Department. The
very same reasons exist for having a Home Depart-
ment as for having a Main, Junior, or Primary De-
partment."

This comparatively new department is now fully
recognized in the different denominations by the
preparation of special literature adapted to its use.
The United Presbyterian Board issues a Quarterly
entitled "The Bible Readers' Home Companion, an
Aid to the Home Department." The Presbyterian
Board publishes "The Westminster Home Department
Quarterly." The Sunday School Times has given
special attention to the development of this depart-
ment. In 1895 our Synod recommended "that this
department be introduced at once into all the Sabbath
Schools." This recommendation has not been carried
into effect generally. The present lecture will be de-
voted to a consideration of the Home Department.

"5

ii6 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

The Specific Object of the Home Department.

1. To reach those who cannot attend the Sabbath
School.

Dr. Duncan in the article referred to above says:
"All Christian work is based on the great commission :
*Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature.' Until the Home Department was
organized the Sunday School was not fulfilling its
obligations under this commission, for it offered an
opportunity to study the Word of God only to those
who would attend the regular sessions of the Sunday
School. Sunday-school membership was confined to
attendants upon Sunday-school services. By a sim-
ple change in the basis of Sunday-school membership,
the Home Department expanded the walls of the Sun-
day-school room, so as to include the whole parish.
This change in the basis of membership is the funda-
mental and vital idea upon which Home Departments
are organized."

2. To reach those who will not attend the Sabbath
School.

A little booklet entitled "About the Home Depart-
ment," published by John D. Wattles & Co., Phila-
delphia, Pa., says: "The Home Department is
designed primarily for those persons in the immediate
community and elsewhere who cannot attend the regu-
lar sessions of the Sunday School ; but it may also
properly include those who for various reasons are
not disposed to attend."

It has been tersely stated that there are two general
classes of people whom it seeks to reach, the "Can'ts"
and the "Won'ts." Evidently the Home Department
does not lack for a field, whatever may be said of the
character of the soil.

THE HOME DEPARTMENT 117

II

Who are Eligible to Membership in the Home De-
partment?

1. Children who are too young, and men and
women who are too aged to attend the pubHc
services of the Sabbath School.

2. Mothers who are kept at home by family cares
and duties.

3. Confirmed invalids, i. e., the ''shut-ins."

4. Those disqualified for taking part in the public
exercises by want of bodily senses, i. e., blind,
deaf, dumb.

5. Those whose professions prevent them from at-
tendance, e. g., physicians and nurses.

6. Those living at a distance or absent from home,
e. g., commercial travelers.

7. Those who could attend, but will not,

a. Because of indifference, worldliness or in-
dolence.

b. Because of prejudice against the Church, the
pastor, or some one connected with the school.

c. Because of diffidence — conscious of their
ignorance and unwilling to expose it.

The report on Sabbath Schools made to our Synod
in 1895 says : 'Tn every community there are per-
sons who from necessity, or choice, are in no way
connected with Sabbath Schools and not infrequently
a large proportion of such are found among pro^
fessing Christians. Any method of Sabbath-school
work that will enlist the attention and meet the wants
of these, and, at the same time, carry the Word of
God into the homes of the irreligious and ungodly
will be welcomed. Such the Home Department has
proved wherever operated."

ii8 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

III

The Method of Work in the Home Department.

This must, in some measure, be determined by the
pastor and Sabbath-school workers in each congrega-
tion.

I. The literature prepared for its special use in-
cludes—

a. A home class membership card.

It reads as follows: *T, the undersigned, hereby

join the Home Class Department of the Sabbath

School. In so doing I promise, unless providentially
hindered, to spend at least one half-hour each week,
either on or before the Sabbath, in the study of the
regular Sabbath-school lesson. Name — Date — Ad-
dress— "

b. Certificate of membership in the Home Class
Department.

This reads as follows: "This certifies that

has been enrolled as a member of the Home Depart-
ment Class, and is entitled to all the privileges enjoyed
by any member of the regular school. — Superin-
tendent — Pastor — Date." This certificate, duly
signed by the pastor and superintendent, is given to the
scholar.

c. A Home Department Quarterly.

These are prepared with Lesson Helps, questions
with space for written answers, and a record in which
to report the time devoted to study each week.

d. Home Department envelope.

This is a prepared envelope suitable for entering a
report of the lessons studied, and enclosing a quar-
terly offering to the Lord.

There is other literature, but this is sufficient for
inaugurating the work on a systematic basis.

THE HOME DEPARTMENT 119

2. Course of procedure in conducting the Home
Department.

a. Enroll all non-attenders at Sabbath School
who will sign the membership card.

b. Classify them, assigning each to a visitor.

c. Provide each member with a lesson quarterly
and a quarterly report envelope.

d. At the close of each quarter the visitors, or
teachers, collect these quarterlies and enve-
lopes, and give out the new ones for the next
quarter.

e. The visitor, or teacher, should make regular
quarterly reports of his class, or district, to
the regular officers of the school.

f. Where the Home Department becomes large,
it may have a special superintendent and sec-
retary, as assistants to the regular officers of
the school.

3. Methods of classification.

These will be determined by the circumstances.
There may be —

a. The individual class, where there is but one
who will engage to do the work,

b. The family class, i. e., where different mem-
bers of a family engage in it.

c. The district class, where there are a number of
members in a neighborhood under one teacher
or visitor.

d. Foreign class, composed of members who are
learning the English language. Some may
not be able to study for themselves and each
scholar may require a teacher.

4. The privileges and relations of the Home De-
partment, classes and teachers, are identical
with those of the regular school.

The pastor of the Sabbath School owes the same

120 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

spiritual oversight to the members of this department
as to the scholars in the regular school. The mem-
bers are entitled to the use of the library and other
Sabbath-school literature and to attend the picnics,
entertainments, excursions and anniversaries of the
school.

IV

The Advantages of the Home Department.

1. It is calculated to enlist all the families of the
congregation in the Sabbath-school work.

2. It draws members into the Sabbath School
proper.

The President of the International Home Depart-
ment says : "The visitors constantly strive to interest
students in the regular services of the Sabbath School,
inviting them to attend the preaching and the regular
school services, showing them the advantages of such
study over independent, isolated work. As a result,
about one-third of all the Home Class students unite
with the main school."

3. It secures the cooperation of parents in the in-
struction of their children.

4. It brings the blessings and fellowship of the
Sabbath School to those who are unable to at-
tend.

5. It brings earnest Christian workers into per-
sonal contact with those who are neglecting the
Word of God and their souls' salvation.

6. It wins to the Church some who are alienated
from it.

7. It aids in the cultivation of systematic giving
and increases the contributions to the Lord's
work.

One pastor writes : ''As to the Home Department,

THE HOME DEPARTMENT 121

the whole congregation, and especially all the teachers
and officers in both the congregational and mission
Sabbath Schools, have become enthusiastic supporters
of it. . . . We have more than forty persons regu-
larly studying the weekly Sabbath-school lessons and
contributing to the Lord's work, outside of the con-
gregation; and their contributions are quite as good,
if not better, than those of our own members. So
also their study of the lessons. Many of them are
coming occasionally to church, and two or three who
were thus originally interested have joined the
church."

These two methods of Sabbath-school work, i. e.,
the Graded System and the Home Department, are
comparatively new, and are not by any means general
throughout our Church; but such testimony as the
above will commend them to your consideration as
candidates for the pastoral office.

Precautionary Remarks on Introducing New
Methods.

I. Do not attempt new methods until you secure
the cooperation of your leading workers.

The success of such methods as these cannot be as-
sured in the face of determined opposition, or even
indifference. It is a great gain if persons can be re-
strained from taking an attitude of antagonism, be-
cause it is so difficult to rejoice in the success of a
scheme which has been carried on in despite of one's
prediction of failure. It is easier to gain consent in
advance than afterward. Of course a pastor cannot
always permit his plans to be blocked by the unreason-
ing opposition of a few opinionated and unprogressive

122 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

men. "Be ye, therefore, wise as serpents and harm-
less as doves."

2. It may be better to confine the graded system
at first to the children and young people.

Some of the aged people cannot memorize, and
others of them are wedded to the old way and are
made uncomfortable by new-fangled methods. It is
better to leave them out at first and let them drift in,
than to force them in at the outset and have them
drop out.

3. Bear in mind that the brilliant success of any
method in one congregation does not insure its
success in every other.

Fields dififer. Pastors differ. Workers differ.
Circumstances differ. In forming plans of work you
must follow the inductive method, i. e., make a full
and complete collection of all the facts and deduce a
theory that will embrace all the phenomena. Failure
here will end in disappointment.

4. These methods require work and perseverance
to make them successful.

No one can study the Graded System or the Home
Department without perceiving that such methods de-
mand unwearying, self-sacrificing toil. A certain
well-worn Latin phrase concerning the price of ex-
cellence is nowhere more just than here. The ease-
loving pastor need not attempt these methods. He
will not succeed in them. But for the faithful perse-
vering worker they have rewards.

And now, young gentlemen, this is all the time we
can devote to the study of this department of the
Church's activities. There is a demand that the theo-
logical seminaries shall furnish the practical instruc-
tion necessary to equip candidates for the pastoral
office ; much must be learned by doing, and this is
especially true as to Sabbath-school work. I have
done my best to cover the ground. I am well aware

THE HOME DEPARTMENT 123

that many important aspects of the work are still left
untouched. For these I can only refer you to the
books referred to in these lectures, especially, The
Modern Sunday School, by Bishop John H. Vincent;
Teachers and Teaching, by Dr. Trumbull; and How
to Conduct a Sunday School, by Marion Lawrence;
and to Murphy's Pastoral Theology.

As my last word to you on Sabbath Schools, I
would charge you to regard as imperative the Saviour's
command, 'Teed my lambs." ''Take heed that ye
despise not one of these little ones ; for I say unto
you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the
face of my Father which is in heaven. . . . Even so
it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven,
that one of these little ones should perish."

LECTURE XIII
YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES

Among the notable activities of the Church in the
present day are the Young People's Societies, and the
Church has been compelled to give attention to this
modern development of religious activity. The move-
ment is not one to be suppressed, much less is it to be
left to take care of itself. It demands painstaking
consideration and the utmost wisdom which the
Church can command. Our own Church is behind
most of the denominations in giving attention to it,
and yet to no other Church is it of more vital impor-
tance. A few years ago the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church appointed a committee of eleven
members, embracing some of the ablest ministers and
laymen of the denomination, and they spent six full
days in the effort to formulate a report defining the
relation of Young People's Societies to the Church.
All the leading denominations have grappled with the
question. Our Church has not fully met her responsi-
bility in this regard, and this department of her work
lacks unity and force.

This subject follows naturally the subject of Sab-
bath Schools.

I

Young People's Societies are of Different Kinds.

I. Undenominational societies.
This class includes such societies as the Y. M.
124

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 125

C A., the Y. W. C A., the Y. W. C. T. U., the
Legion of Honor, and such Hke. These societies are
composed of young people gathered from the various
denominations, and in some cases including those not
members of any Church. They are organized for ob-
jects of a common Christianity. They all draw their
strength and support from the Church of Christ, but
have no organic connection with it, and are not in
any sense under its authority and control. The Y.
M. C. A. requires its active members to belong to
some evangelical church. I have already, in another
connection, endeavored to define the relation of a
Covenanter minister to these organizations. If these
undenominational societies are formed on the basis of
an agreement to do work that is common to all de-
nominations, in methods which all denominations ap-
prove, and in the use of forms of worship in which
all the denominations agree, then identification and
cooperation with them is not difficult. But to unite
with them on a platform that is in violation of our
own public profession and sworn covenant engage-
ments is hurtful, both to common Christianity, and to
our own Church.

I am fully persuaded that no form of undenomi-
national society will satisfy the conscientious pastor
as taking the place of the organization of his own
young people under his own immediate supervision.

2. Interdenominational societies.

The most noted example of this class of young
people's societies is the Young People's Society of
Christian Endeavor.

The advantages claimed for this form of organiza-
tion are, —

a. That it is superior to the undenominational
society, because it is within the bosom of the
Church. One of its rules is "that the pas-
tor, deacons, elders, stewards and Sunday-

126 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

school superintendents shall be ex-officio
members of the society." I think this claim
of superiority over the undenominational so-
ciety is justly made, and is of very great
importance. It makes the society a develop-
ment of Church life, and puts honor on the
Church as a Divine institution. This is of
great value,
b. It also claims superiority over the de-
nominational society as happily combining
denominational and interdenominational fea-
tures. It is insisted upon, as one of the
principles of Christian Endeavor, that the
Endeavorer must alw^ays be loyal to his own
Church. This, it is said, guarantees the
safety of the denomination. Then in the dis-
trict and state unions and in the international
conventions held under the auspices of the
United Society of Christian Endeavor, the
young people have the added advantage of
the broader interdenominational fellowship.
That this is a rightful claim is not so clear.
To make good this claim it is necessary to
show that the Christian Endeavor interde-
nominational fellowship is established on such
a basis that the young people of all the
Churches can enter into it in consistency with
that first principle of Christian Endeavor, —
namely, supreme loyalty to the distinctive
principles and usages of their own Churches.
3. Denominational societies.

The denominational society differs from the unde-
nominational in that instead of being independent of
the Church it is identical with it. It is not only a form
of Christian activity, but it is a method of Church
service. It is the Church at work. It is in organic
union with the Church as a body, and in vital union

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 127

with it as a life. It owes its allegiance to the Church
alone, and is in subordination to the courts of the de-
nomination to which it belongs. This is the form of
organization adopted by a large majority of the leading
denominations in the care of their youth. The United
Presbyterian Church has its Young People's Union;
the Methodist Episcopal Church has its Epzvorth
League; the Baptists have The Baptist Yoking Peo-
ple's Union; the Lutherans have The Luther League;
the Protestant Episcopal Church has The Brotherhood
of St. Andrew, and the Canadian Presbyterian Church
has The Presbyterian Guild.

4. Societies controlled by local sessions and pres-
byteries under general principles laid down by
the supreme judicatory.

These are not strictly denominational societies, but
are largely organized on denominational principles and
subject to Church authority.

A. The regulations adopted by the Presbyterian
Church embrace the following:

a. "That all the young people's religious organi-
zations which are to be found within its
Churches are under the jurisdiction of the
Church.

b. "That in general these societies are to be or-
ganized, and are to work in conformity with
the historic position of the Church as ex-
pressed in her standards and interpreted by
her courts.

c. "The particular relations of all Presbyterian
young people's societies to the Church are sus-
tained in the first instance to the session of a
particular Church and thence through the
session to the Church at large.

"Each such society is under the immediate
direction, control, and oversight of the ses-
sion of that Church in which it is formed,

128 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

and that oversight is not merely general, but

applies to —
(i) ''The constitution of the society, which
the session must be careful to see is
framed in accordance with the general
principles named hereinbefore, and the
received usages of the Presbyterian
Church.

(2) ''The schedule of its services: including
the time of meeting, the course of topics,
and the general leadership, in order that
such services may form an integral part
of the work and worship of the Church,

(3) "The election of its officers: to this ex-
tent that each society shall submit for the
approval of the session the list of those
whom it has chosen, lest unsuitable per-
sons should be placed in positions of in-
fluence.

(4) "The distribution of its funds: that the
regular benevolent work of the Church
under the care of Presbyterian Boards be
not allowed to suffer through indiscrimi-
nate contributions to miscellaneous objects
which appeal to individual sympathy."

It will be seen that the carrying out of these princi-
ples would make all the young people's societies of
the Presbyterian Church strictly denominational. It
leaves unsettled the question of how the interdenomi-
national fellowship of these societies will be deter-
mined.

B. The principles adopted by the Reformed Pres-
byterian Synod for the government of her young
people's societies are toiind in Minutes of Synod,
1898, page 53, and also in the Minutes for
1901.

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 129

The report of a special committee in 1898 contains
the following:

"Your committee are united in the belief that the
denominational society is the ideal young people's so-
ciety, and, if our young people were without organi-
zation, they would recommend the formation of such
a society." This report was adopted by Synod.

The following recommendations were adopted :

1. "That the young people's societies in all our con-
gregations are under the immediate control of
the sessions.

2. "That it be left to the sessions to determine, in
their wisdom, the name, form of organization,
services, and relations of these societies.

3. "That sessions be held responsible to the presby-
teries for the societies under their care.

4. "That presbyteries be recommended to seek to
unite all the Covenanter young people within
their bounds in a Covenanter Young People's
Union, which shall embrace all the young peo-
ple's societies in the congregations under their
care; and shall also include the young people
not connected with these societies, and those
living in congregations where no local societies
exist."

In 1901, Synod adopted the following:

1. "That we recognize as under the jurisdiction of
the Church all young people's organizations that
may exist within her bounds; that the Church
through her courts owes to them maternal care
and provision, and that to her spiritual author-
ity they owe filial obedience in whatever she
may advise or direct.

2. "That while Synod has allowed sessions to deter-
mine in their wisdom the name, form of organi-
zation, services, and relations of the individual
societies, it is intended that these shall be in

130 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

harmony with the historic testimony and prac-
tice of the Church, as expressed in her standards
and interpreted by her courts.

3. "That we remind our young people that in their
work they represent the denomination of which
they are a part, and that denominational loyalty
consists in devotion to her principles and obedi-
ence to her authority.

4. "That while leaving to sessions the responsibility
of controlling the interdenominational or unde-
nominational fellowship of the young people's
societies under their care, we recommend pres-
byteries to secure the organization of all societies
of young people in Presbyterial Unions in loyal
recognition of the primary authority and inclu-
sive scope of the vows taken by our members
when uniting with the Church; and we counsel
all sessions and societies to guard against the
corrupting influence of any and all false teach-
ing and unscriptural practice: and especially
against anything in the matter of praise con-
trary to the principles of our Church."

II

Principles Which Should Govern the Organization of
Young People's Societies.

Having impartially stated the characteristics of each
of these classes of young people's organizations, I
submit to you the following propositions, which I
think will commend themselves to your judgment:

I. The young people's societies should be organized
within the Church.

The young people's society should not be what is
termed a Voluntary Society, but a Church organiza-

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 131

tion. Connection with it may be voluntary in the same
sense that connection with the Sabbath School is
voluntary.

2. The young people's societies should be organized
on denominational principles.

If the Church proposes to maintain her position as
a distinct denomination, she must do it by the culture
and training of her youth. As the Presbyterian As-
sembly has declared: 'These societies are to be or-
ganized and to work in conformity with the historic
position of the Church as expressed in her standards
and interpreted by her courts."

The young people should feel that their engagements
to duty in the society have their sanctions in something
far more sacred and solemn than a mere social pledge ;
namely, in their sworn covenant engagements and
their sacramental vows. Our Synod recognizes this
principle when it recommends "presbyteries to secure
the organization of all societies of young people in
presbyterial unions in loyal recognition of the primary
authority and inclusive scope of the vows taken by
our members when uniting with the Church."

3. The basis of the interdenominational fellowship
of the young people's societies should be deter-
mined by the authority of the churches to which
the young people belong.

It is a great mistake to suppose that denominational
young people's societies can have no interdenomina-
tional fellowship. The following proposition was
submitted to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church, namely : —

"That a committee be appointed to correspond with
the representatives of the young people's organizations
in the Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, United Presby-
terian, Southern Presbyterian, and other Churches,
with the purpose of ascertaining wherein an interde-
nominational fellowship among these young people can

132 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

be established and utilized for the promotion of those
objects which we share in common with our sister
Churches."

The Churches named here have all organized their
young people on a denominational basis. This was a
proposition to establish interdenominational fellowship
among these denominational societies, under the aus-
pices of their respective denominations. It is both
reasonable and right that in so important a matter
the Churches should have supervision of their own
young people. It is a most serious defect in the inter-
denominational feature of Christian Endeavor that it
establishes the fellowship of the young people of the
Churches under the auspices and control of a legal
corporation that is outside of all Churches; and that
it excludes from this fellowship all denominational so-
cieties.

4. The interdenominational fellowship of the young
people's societies should be regulated by the
same principles by which the Church regulates
her own interdenominational fellowship.

This principle has been illustrated repeatedly by the
action of our Synod. In entering the Presbyterian
Alliance she made it a condition that only what she
recognizes as Scriptural forms of worship should be
employed in the meetings of the Alliance. When she
received an invitation for her young people to join in
conventions where instrumental music would be used
in the worship she respectfully declined in the follow-
ing terms :

'Tn taking this action Synod begs to assure you that
she is moved only by a sincere purpose to maintain
consistently her testimony for purity of worship.
This testimony has been transmitted to us by our
covenanted fathers in Scotland and Ireland, and is the
well-known historical position of our Church to which
her practice has ever been conformed."

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 133

As long as the Church, in uniting with sister
Churches in worship, makes it a condition that the
worship in which they unite shall be Scriptural, the
same principle should prevail when the young people's
societies unite in services of worship. A session which
would not arrange for a union service in which hymns
and organs would be used, certainly should apply the
same rule to the young people's organization.

5. Denominational fellowship should not be sacri-
ficed for the sake of interdenominational.

There is something radically wrong with the inter-
denominational fellowship which runs a plowshare
through the heart of the Churches and separates the
societies of the same denomination. For instance,
there are a great number of Westminster Leagues in
the Presbyterian Church. As societies these are all
excluded from fellowship with the Christian En-
deavor Societies of their own Church, in district,
county, and State unions. Frequent proposals have
been made to organize local unions which would em-
brace all denominational societies in a town or com-
munity. This has always been resisted by those in
control of the Christian Endeavor movement, as being
detrimental to the interests of that organization. Such
unions may have been formed, but they are not ap-
proved by the United Society.

These five principles seem to me to be self-evident,
and their application imperative if the young people's
movement is to prove a permanent blessing:

I. The young people's societies should he organized
zvithin the Church.
II. They should be organized on denominational

principles.
III. The basis of interdenominational fellowship
should be determined by the Churches to which
they belong.

134 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

IV. They should he governed by the principles which
govern the Church, as a body, in her inter-
church fellowship.
V. Denominational fellowship should not be sacri-
ficed for the sake of interdenominational.

LECTURE XIV

THE PASTOR AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S
SOCIETY

The young people's societies are here. Their ad-
vent generally has been regarded as one of the great
spiritual movements of the age. Such has been their
sway over the popular mind that he was a bold man
who dared to call in question their right to be. This
was the period when the Young People's Society was
judged by its professions, what it claimed to be and
to do. Now we have reached a period when it begins
to be judged by its fruits. Whether the Young Peo-
ple's Society will remain as an approved form of
Church-life and service depends upon the devotion
of its members.

The fact that the advent of the young people's so-
cieties was followed by a marked decline in Church
growth brought the arrest of thought. Zion's Herald,
one of the ablest papers of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, regards the influence of the society as un-
spiritual ; and says it leads the minds of the young
people away from Church connection, the very oppo-
site of what was expected of it. "Whatever is the
cause," it says, "there is a tendency to be satisfied and
let the Church go."

One of our own ministers, a pastor of long experi-
ence, published an address delivered by him at one
of our Presbyterial Christian Endeavor Conventions,
in which he says : "There are dangers necessarily
connected with all young people's societies. There is

135

136 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

not one today in which are not manifested hurtful
tendencies. Those brethren would not be far wrong
who oppose them in any and every form, were it not
that they fail to take into consideration the fact that
these societies are already in existence, and, by an
inevitable law, will continue to multiply." (Dr. J. W.
Sproull, in Oliz/e Trees.)

If the Church comes to regard the society as only
a necessary evil to which she submits because it is
inevitable, she will find a way to rid herself of it.
My experience as a pastor, however, taught me to look
upon it in a more favorable light. Let us consider:

The Advantages of a Young People's Society.

I. To the pastor.

a. It brings the pastor into closer sympathy with
the young people.

Many ministers find it difficult to establish proper
relations with their young people. If they stand apart
from them, surrounded by an atmosphere of minis-
terial dignity, they may win their respect, but not
their love. If they mingle with them in their social
gatherings and amusements as one of themselves,
there is danger that the too great familiarity may
breed contempt. The solution of the difficult problem
lies in the young people's meeting, where the pastor
mingles with the young people, as, indeed, one of
themselves, and yet goes before them as their leader
in a delightful, yet solemn religious experience.

b. It promotes his acquaintance with their spirit-
ual needs.

The pastor needs to know the needs of the flock.
With the young people this is sometimes difficult.

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 137

They do not open their hearts to him. How can he
come in contact with their souls? The Young Peo-
ple's Society furnishes the meeting ground. Their
prayer-meeting usually is more of an experience meet-
ing than the congregational prayer-meeting is. They
cannot descant so learnedly on doctrinal subjects, and
naturally turn to the practical side. They have fewer
set phrases in prayer, and their petitions are more of
an index to their hearts. The thoughtful pastor,
mingling with them in these services, becomes ac-
quainted with their inner life. Words let drop in the
young people's meeting will often open the way for
private interviews when the whole heart will be laid
open to the pastor for counsel and help.

c. The pastor is supported by their prayers.

Some of the very sweetest hours in my pastoral
experience were in the Sabbath evening meetings of
my young people, when, weary and frequently dis-
couraged with the labors of the day, I sat and listened
to the gracious words that fell from their lips, and
the fervent petitions in my behalf that rose from their
tender and loving hearts. I would not willingly part
with the memory of it. The pastor has an ample com-
pensation for all the labor it imposes on him in the
good it brings to himself.

2. The Young People's Society is a connecting link
between the Sabbath School and the Church.

One of the greatest difficulties experienced in Sab-
bath-school work is to retain scholars when they pass
out of childhood and young manhood and woman-
hood. At this point the young people's society renders
valuable aid. It binds the youth of the Sabbath
School to the Church by a threefold bond,
a. By a social tie.

The difficulty with many of our young people is,
that they form social relations either with the uncon-
verted and the irreligious or with those having moral

138 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

and religious standards lower than our own. By the
powerful influence of the social nature they are drawn
away from the Church. The best way to counteract
this evil is to employ the social nature to bind them
to the Church.

b. By a religious tie.

Man's religious nature is still more powerful than
his social nature. If it is possible to weave the golden
threads of religious experience into the web of life,
so that it cannot be separated without a painful rend-
ing, then the Church will not lose her young people.
A well-conducted Young People's Society will help
to do this.

c. By a tie of practical work.

Multitudes drift away simply beause they have no
working interest in the Church. They are not ripe
enough in knowledge or in Christian experience to be
Sabbath-school teachers. They are not qualified to
be deacons or elders. They find no use for their gifts.
Having nothing to do they soon cease to care. The
young people's society is a portion of the vineyard in
which they can find some practical work. It will form
another tie to bind them to the Church.

3. It is a means of regulating the Christian de-
portment of young people.

a. It guards the negative side of the Christian
life by cultivating the positive side.

The Christian life is not one of repression, but of
expression. ''Walk in the spirit and ye shall not
fulfill the lusts of the flesh." As to how to get rid of
evil : "Learn to do well," and you will soon ''cease
to do evil." Cultivate the positive side, and the nega-
tive side will take care of itself.

b. It controls the conduct of young people by
love of Christ, rather than by fear of disci-
pline.

It is perhaps true that in former days the Church

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 139

depended too much on the fear of the session to
restrain her young people from sinful and worldly
amusements and appealed too little to their love of
Christ. I would not be understood as urging the
relaxing of Church discipline, but I plead for the culti-
vation of that which shall make discipline less neces-
sary. I long for the day when young people will be
kept from the dance, the pool-room, and the theater
by their love of purity, rather than by the fear of the
session. Too many young Christians are, like Simon
the Cyrenian, ''compelled to bear His cross."

4. It promotes Christian culture.

The Church is generally remiss in the care of new
converts. Great effort is put forth to persuade them
to come into the Church, but, once their names are on
the roll, effort in their behalf ceases. That is the very
point where it ought to be redoubled. The secret of
many an apostasy can be found in the failure of the
Church to follow up her work. The young people's
society promotes Christian culture:

a. By the study of the Scriptures.

'*As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow thereby." (I Peter ii, 2.)
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by
taking heed thereto according to thy word." (Psalm
cxix, 9.)

b. By experimental acquaintance with Christ.
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our

Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (II Peter iii, 18.)
This is not knowing about Christ, but knowing Him.
"That I may know Him, and the power of His resur-
rection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
made conformable unto His death." (Philip, iii, 10.)

c. By frequent personal testimony.

Christ asked such questions as these: "Who
touched me?" "What think ye of Christ?" "Whom
say ye that I am?" "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou

I40 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

me?" Such questions were not addressed merely to
new converts, but also to those who had been with
Him from the beginning. Why? Not for infonna-
tion, for He knew all things. It was partly, at least,
to call forth the testimony of His disciples, that they
might have their own faith made clear and strong by
bold confession as to who He was and what He had
done for them. To such service the young people's
society invites.

5. It is a training school for Christian workers,

a. All Christians need work.

No matter how well instructed they may be, they
cannot be strong Christians without something to do.
Rich food without exercise is liable to produce dys-
pepsia. That there are not more spiritual dyspeptics
among idle professors is due to the fact that many of
them are fed on very light diet.

b. The Church needs workers.

Look at the uncultivated fields and the ungathered
sheaves, and this just around the church doors. It
is pitiful to see Christians dwindling and pining away
for want of work, and souls perishing for want of
workers.

c. The workers need training.

It is vain to expect men and women to take up, in
mature years, work for which they have had no train-
ing in early life. It is the mission of the young peo-
ple's society to raise up an army of trained soldiers,
accustomed from their youth to use the weapons of
spiritual warfare in fighting the battles of the Lord,
and the implements of Christian husbandry in culti-
vating His vineyard, and the tools of Christian work
in building the temple.

6. It promotes true denominational attachment.
This does not mean an empty pride in an ancestral

name. It means devotion to divine institutions, to a
system of God-given and blood-bought truth, and to

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 141

the accomplishment of a heaven-appointed mission.
Such an attachment must be founded upon intellectual
knowledge, conscientious convictions, and deep reli-
gious experience : and these the young people's society
should supply. In personal experience as a pastor I
found this true.

II

The Dtity of the Pastor to the Young People's Society.

1. He should attend the meetings regularly.

a. For his own sake.

I have already spoken of the advantages to the
pastor of the 3^oung people's society. To secure these
he must be a regular attendant.

b. For the sake of the young people.

The presence of the pastor is important in order
to maintain the proprieties of the meeting. A young
people's meeting has its perils. It may be a very good
thing, and it is possible for it to becom.e a very bad
thing. Satan's wolves delight to pounce upon the
lambs of the flock when the shepherd is away. It will
be difficult to secure regular attendance of the young
people if the pastor is irregular.

c. Because an irregular attendance makes his
presence embarrassing to the young people.

At first it is one of the trials of the young people
to take part when the pastor is present. If he attends
regularly the embarrassment passes away. But if
they never know when to look for him, his coming in
\N\\\ put a damper on the meeting, and the young peo-
ple will come to feel that the very poorest meetings
they have are those when the pastor is there.

2. The pastor should enter heartily into the young
people's plans.

142 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

a. He should counsel with their committees.

It is common for these societies to carry on their
work through various committees. Dr. Cuyler's so-
ciety had a devotional committee to arrange prayer-
meetings ; a visiting committee to look after the sick ;
an entertainment committee to arrange music, read-
ings, and other pleasant features for a monthly social ;
a temperance committee to oversee that branch of
Christian labor; a relief committee for cases of pov-
erty ; and another to bring flowers for the pulpit every
Sabbath and later send them to the rooms of the sick.
In many societies the pastor is, ex officio, a member
of all committees. All need his counsel and it should
be given sympathetically.

b. He should assist them in any proper special
work.

If the young people act wisely, they will not under-
take work without the pastor's counsel. It has been
found beneficial for them to have a special work
which they call their own. But it should not be inde-
pendent of the control of the pastor and session. If
their work needs financial support it is well for the
pastor to give and to encourage others to aid them.

c. Encourage their efforts to quicken themselves
in duty.

There are differences of view as to the propriety of
having a society pledge and a monthly consecration
service. These are essential features of the Christian
Endeavor Society. So far as I know, denominational
societies make the taking of a special pledge optional.
Dr. Cuyler, speaking of the terms of membership in
his society, says : *Tt embraces three classes of mem-
bers: active, associate, and honorary. Any member
of our Church between the ages of fifteen and forty-
five may be chosen an active member of the asso-
ciation; any person of good moral character may

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 143

become an associate member entitled to all privileges
except that of holding office."

My own opinion is that this is the right basis of
membership, and that a special pledge in addition to
the Church Covenant should not be required ; but every
effort should be made to quicken members to a sense
of the binding obligation of our Church vows. Many
of our denominational societies have adopted the fol-
lowing paragraph from our Church Covenant of 1871,
viz:

"We take the moral law as dispensed by the medi-
ator, Christ, to be the rule of our life, and to be
obeyed by us in all its precepts and prohibitions.
Aiming to live for the glory of God as our chief end,
we will in reliance upon God's grace, and feeling our
inability to perform any spiritual duty in our own
strength, diligently attend to searching the Scriptures,
religious conversation, the duties of the closet, the
household, the fellowship meeting and the sanctuary,
and will seek in them to worship God in spirit and
in truth. We do solemnly promise to depart from
all iniquity, and to live soberly, and righteously, and
godly in this present world, commending and encour-
aging by our example : temperance, charity, and godli-
ness."

d. He should exercise judicious restraint over
the young people.

They will probably have plans which your judgment
will not approve. Do not yield everything to their
judgment. Guard against mere fault-finding, but
persuade them to other things.

e. Preach sermons to the young people.

It is questionable whether more good than harm
is done by the observance of Young People's Day,
Decision Day, Rally Day, and such special occasions,
but a sermon especially for the young people may be
very helpful.

144 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

IV

Dangers to he Avoided in Connection with Young
P copiers Societies.

1. The danger of separating the people into classes.
One of the most reasonable objections made to

young people's societies is that they tend to put asunder
what God has joined together, namely, the old and
the young. The young, it is said, need the old; and
certainly we who are old need the young. This sepa-
ration would be an evil indeed, but it does not neces-
sarily follow. These two classes should not be
permitted to drift apart. Encourage the older people
occasionally to drop into the young people's meeting.
Keep the young people constantly in the congrega-
tional prayer-meeting. Teach them that if they can
attend only one prayer-meeting in the week, it should
be the prayer-meeting of the congregation, and not
the young people's meeting.

2. Avoid the cultivation of a self-sufficient or self-
satisfied spirit.

There are forms of evil which have a tendency to
creep into young people's societies. They are little
foxes that spoil the vines, and our vines have tender
grapes. The very fact of putting forward very young
children to lead the meetings, or calling upon them
to testify as to their religious experience, has its perils.

3. Guard against irreverence in the religious
services.

Irreverence in worship is a sad blight upon Protes-
tant Churches. It is necessary for the pastor to hold
the reins with a firm hand in this matter. Young
people who are not intentionally wicked are often very
thoughtless, and shamefully irreverent in the house
of God.

The leaders in large conventions of young people

YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES 145

are not always sufficiently careful to preserve the
spirit of reverent worship. A recent report of one
such gathering told that the leader of the choir called
upon all who were over thirty years of age to sing
one verse of the hymn; and all under thirty to sing
the succeeding verse. The worshipers sang with an
amused smile playing over their faces as they glanced
from side to side to mark the effect upon those of
uncertain age. Could anything be more unbecoming
than that in the worship of God?

4. Guard against trifling with sacred things in the
use of the pledge and the consecration meeting.

If it is decided to introduce these sacred ceremonies,
then I charge you that as pastors you must hold your-
selves responsible for their employment in the most
solemn and impressive way. I can hardly conceive of
anything more calculated to bring upon young souls
the blight of spiritual decline than a monthly renewal
of promises to God, followed by their habitual vio-
lation.

5. Guard them against the violation of their pro-
fession in the interdenominational gatherings.

There seems to be a difference of opinion as to the
consistency of Covenanter young people becoming
members of organizations whose forms of worship
are in violation of the Scriptural law of worship and
contrary to the doctrines and usages of our Church.
That it is fraught with danger no one need deny.

In closing this subject I wish to express my pro-
found conviction that, if our Church is to live to
honor, her pastors must guard more carefully the
young people's associations. May God make you wise
and safe leaders of the youth who will soon be en-
trusted to your care. "That our sons may be as
plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters
may be as corner stones, carved after the similitude of
a palace."

LECTURE XV

THE PASTOR AND THE MISSIONARY
SOCIETIES

Of organizing societies there seems to be no end.
A society having as its special object to kill off
all the other organizations, is about all that is left
to be organized. The Woman's Missionary Society,
however, was one of the first in the field and it should
be spared to the last.

Murphy in his Pastoral Theology, says :
"Explain the matter as we may, the fact cannot be
mistaken that, with woman is ever to be found the
greater part of the piety, the earnest devotion, and
the zeal of the Church. This is plainly to be seen in
all of our churches. Among all denominations the
evidences of it are to be found in the rolls of the
membership ; in the attendance upon all the services
of the sanctuary ; in her sympathy with every true
object of benevolence; in her readiness to engage in
every good work; and in her consistency of Hfe.
Upon this element of piety in his Church the pastor
must ever place great reliance, and his wisdom will
be manifested in so framing his plans of activity that
it can be used to the greatest advantage. It is a
power for good too important and peculiar not to
receive his special attention."

I

The Various Missionary Organizations.

I. The Woman's Missionary Society.
The name of the society indicates its membership
146

THE MISSIONARY SOCIETIES • 147

and the purposes of the organization. It is of long
standing in the Church and has a place in nearly all
of our congregations. The earlier name for it was
The Female Missionary Society. Then it was more
dependent on the pastor than it is now. It was thought
that the society could hardly be opened with prayer
unless the pastor or some prominent male member of
the congregation were present. These societies are
usually organized under a constitution, with by-laws,
and the young pastor will generally find the mission-
ary society in full running operation when he enters
the field. If he does not, he should inaugurate the
movement by consultation with the leading women of
the congregation. It is easy to frame a constitution
or to secure a copy from another society.

2. The Young Women's Missionary Society.

It is not best to multiply societies unnecessarily;
one good strong society is better than two feeble ones ;
but, in large congregations, it has been found desirable
to have a separate society for the young women.

a. It frequently suits the young women better
to meet at a different hour.

b. They may be interested in different lines of
work.

c. It tends more to the development of their
gifts.

If old and young meet together, the tendency is for
the meeting to fall into the hands of the older mem-
bers. The propriety of having a young women's so-
ciety depends very largely on the circumstances, and
the pastor should exercise a careful judgment and
give his advice.

3. The Children's Mission Band.

This name is usually given to the organization of
the children. Some doubt the propriety of such or-
ganizations, but experience seems to justify them.

a. They should be under the supervision of one

148 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

of the women or young women of the con-
gregation,
b. A special effort should be made to interest
mission scholars in the mission band.

4. The Band of Hope.

This is a form of organization similar to the Mis-
sion Band, except that its special object is temperance
instruction. The Loyal Temperance Legion has
largely supplanted this organization, and one or the
other will likely claim some of your children. Wher-
ever children's organizations are formed, the pastor
should recognize that they have a special claim upon
him. At no point can he make his work more effec-
tive than in dealing with the mind of childhood.

5. The Boys' Brigade and the Boy Scout Move-
ment.

Much was formerly made of the Boys' Brigade, an
organization for boys, largely wind and water, with
absolutely nothing to commend it. The Boy Scout
Movement is of the same type, but has the grace to
keep itself clear of the Church. Such organizations
are condemned by one and the same test: They are
out of harmony with the spirit and aim of Him who
is the Prince of Peace.

6. The Men's Missionary Society, and the Busi-
ness Men's League.

It is one of the unmistakable signs of the progress
of the Kingdom that in every well organized con-
gregation we now have Men's Clubs. In the country
congregation of a generation ago, the question was
how to break up the horse-shed class. Later, during
the years of my pastorate, I frequently heard it asked
why we could not have missionary organizations of
men as well as of women, and there seemed to be no
reason except that the women managed their affairs
better without the men. In fact they still originate
and carry out plans which the men are staggered to

THE MISSIONARY SOCIETIES 149

think of. But gradually the men of the church have
been awakened to their opportunities; there are busi-
ness men's leagues for "financiering the kingdom";
men's auxiliary missionary societies ; civic leagues ;
law and order societies; and in fact every proposed
reform now has a solid organization among the men
of the Church. Among our own people the working
congregations are organizing the men, and many of
you will find, as young pastors, a strong working
force in these organizations. Here lies your oppor-
tunity.

The pastor should consider that his pastoral over-
sight extends to all forms of organization in the con-
gregation. Nothing is beyond his responsibility or
beneath his notice.

II
The Uses of the Missionary Society.

What is said on this point will have special refer-
ence to the Woman's Missionary Society and can be
applied to the others according to their circumstances.

I. It is an organization for prayer.

Formerly this occupied but a small place in the
"Female Missionary Society," for there were but few
women who would consent to lead in public prayer.
Now the missionary society is, first of all, a woman's
prayer-meeting. Speaking of the importance of this,
Murphy says : "The influence of such a stated meet-
ing of devout women for prayer and spiritual confer-
ence will most undoubtedly tell upon the piety and
progress of the Church. . . . Unseen, and perhaps
unnoticed, may be those little assemblies, but not un-
felt will be their blessed results." They will tell upon
the preaching and upon the Sabbath School, upon the
cause of missions, and upon the bringing in of revivals
of religion.

I50 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

2. As a pastor's aid society.

Many congregations have organizations with this ob-
ject and called by this name, but this is really a depart-
ment of missionary society work. The work would
be such as the following:

a. Visiting new families coming into the bounds
of the congregation.

b. Seeking out those without a Church home.

c. Reclaiming the disaffected and the negligent.

d. Bringing scholars into the Sabbath School.

e. Promoting peace and sociability in the
church.

Murphy says: "Women have the piety, they have
the feeling, they have the tact, they more generally
have the time to do such work; and hence they do it
more efficiently than men. There are some parts of
Church work they can do better than even the pastor.
They can reach families, especially the female portion
of them, as the other sex cannot. They can follow
up impressions that are made, cultivate the acquaint-
ance of strangers, and persevere in efforts to interest
them in the Church and her ordinances as men cannot
or will not."

3. As a benevolent society.

Dorcas gave her name to this department of woman's
work, and Dorcas Societies have long been known in
the Church. But this, again, is only a department of
missionary society work.

a. Making garments for the poor.

b. Clothing children for the Sabbath School.

c. Sending missionary boxes to the various mis-
sion fields.

Such has been a most important branch of mission-
ary society effort. This is applied Christianity, and
some who have not been able to contribute large sums
of money to the mission cause have given in time and
skill what has been of very great value.

THE MISSIONARY SOCIETIES 151

4. In the care and keeping of the church building.
Perhaps a majority of the churches in our body

have been furnished with carpets and with pulpit
furniture, and some even with pews, by the missionary
society; and you will find as pastors that it frequently
happens that, when men cannot be moved to clean and
paint and fresco the church, the women will come
to your assistance through the missionary society.

5. As a direct missionary agent in the congrega-
tion.

a. In cultivating the missionary spirit.

The missionary societies secure missionary sermons
and lectures, keep up correspondence with mission
fields, hold farewell meetings for missionaries going
out and meetings of welcome to missionaries return-
ing home. No one but Jesus knows what these noble
women have done to fire the Church with missionary
zeal, and to comfort the heart of His servants, the
missionaries ; but the missionaries testify somewhat to
the value of their works of faith and labors of love.

b. In employing city missionaries.

In many of our city congregations it is the Woman's
Missionary Society that originates and sustains the
city mission. It may be said that, after all, the men
have to provide the means. That is only partially
true; and, even so, it is the women that supply the
spirit, and courage, and heart.

c. By organizing the sewing school.

A very common branch of this local missionary
effort is the organizing of schools for the training of
girls to sew. It calls for consecrated womanhood to
carry on this toilsome, and sometimes thankless, work.

d. By combining the mother's meeting, the sew-
ing circle, the gospel service and charity.

There is a plan of missionary work carried on by
the women of the Second New York congregation
which I wish to bring to your attention. It is this:

152 THE PEOPLE AT WORK

The women of the missionary society provide large
quantities of materials for the manufacture of cloth-
ing. They invite poor women in the neighborhood
of the church, or connected with the children of the
Sabbath School, to meet in the sewing room in the
church, and there they meet with them and cut out
useful garments for the families of such as can be
present, and direct them in the making. While the
sewing goes on, the women of the society mingle with
those brought in, conversing as in a mother's meeting.
If the pastor, or any other minister, comes in to talk
with them, they stop work for ten or twenty minutes
and listen to him. When the work is done, the poor
women take the garments which they have made with
them, and they carry away hearts comforted and
helped by this Christian fellowship and sym.pathy.
Such a method combines many elements of helpful-
ness.

6. Raising funds for the different schemes of the
church.

An examination of the various treasurers' reports
will show that women's missionary societies are doing
a marvelous work in raising funds for the church.
No good work appeals in vain to these devoted
women.

Ill

The Duty of the Pastor to the Missionary Societies.

I. He should not interfere obtrusively in their
work.

The pastor may make himself a nuisance to the
missionary societies by attending all their meetings
and undertaking to shape all their plans. This is
worse than to discourage by neglect.

THE MISSIONARY SOCIETIES 153

2. He should visit them occasionally to encourage
by his words.

A brief call once in a while to manifest interest
and sympathy and to assure them of how much they
aid him in his work will be appreciated.

3. He should promote the upbuilding of the so-
ciety.

a. By encouraging members to join.

b. By remembering them in his public prayers.

c. By special sermons on their behalf.

d. By enforcing their claims for assistance upon
the congregation.

It was the custom of our congregation to devote
the collection of Sabbath evening after communion
to the missionary society. It was a good plan.

4. He should consult with them in regard to plans
of work.

This will be necessary if they are to fill the place
of Pastor's Aid Society and Benevolent Society. He
will often find among the godly women of his flock
his safest and wisest counselors, his most loyal sup-
porters and his most devoted workers.

5. He should respond cheerfully to their calls for
assistance.

The busy pastor is apt to become impatient under
frequent interruption of his studies. Cultivate the
habit of doing cheerfully and not grudgingly. Re-
member Paul's words, ''Help those women." (Philip,
iv, 3.)

PART II

THE PASTOR

IN RELATION TO THE CHURCH

COURTS

PART II

LECTURE XVI

THE PASTOR IN THE SESSION

The general subject of the lectures in Pastoral
Theology for this part of the seminary year will be
The Pastor in His Relation tO' the Church
Courts. The subject of to-day's lecture is The
Pastor in the Session.

The Pastor of the Congregation is, Ex Officio, the
Moderator of the Session.

1. Because the office of the ministry is, in its
nature, superior to the office of the eldership.

It is admitted that there is parity of ruling power
vested in ministers and ruling elders. But there is
not parity of office.

This is evident :

a. Because the minister's ordination to office
is by a higher court.

Ministers are ordained by presbytery, elders by
session or presbytery.

b. There is difference in the form of ordination.
The minister is ordained by the imposition of the

hands of ministers only; ruling elders by the imposi-
tion of the hands of both ministers and elders.

The Book of Discipline makes this distinction
157

158 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

clear: ''The power of ordering the whole work of
ordination is in the whole presbytery. Every minis-
ter of the Word is to be ordained by the imposition
of hands and prayer, with fasting, by those preach-
ing presbyters to whom it doth belong." Again:
''Preaching presbyters orderly associated either in
cities or in neighboring villages are those to whom
the imposition of hands doth appertain for those con-
gregations within their bounds." — Book of Discipline^
pp. 45; 46-4; 47-10; 52-8; 106-4, 5-

c. They differ as to the court before which they
can be brought for trial.

A minister cannot be placed on trial before a ses-
sion, but an elder can be.

Dr. Hodge, in his Church Polity, says: "Where
an elder is to be tried, he is arraigned before the ses-
sion; but process against a gospel minister must al-
ways be entered before the presbytery. Why is this,
but that a man is to be tried by his peers? If so,
then the elders are not the peers of the minister ; they
are not officially his equals." — Hodge's Church Polity,
p. 275; U. P. Government and Discipline, p. 600;
Art. n, i; Art. HI, i.

2. In vacant congregations, presbytery appoints
a minister to moderate the session.

If a session had power to elect its own moderator
and to choose one of the elders to the place instead
of the pastor, then there could be no occasion for
elders in a vacant congregation applying to presbytery
to supply them with a moderator in order that they
might constitute for business. Book of Discipline,
page 122, Rule 6, says: "A certificate shall be
deemed regular when signed by the moderator and
clerk of session ; or when signed by a majority of the
elders, if a congregation be vacant, and there has
been no opportunity to make an appointment in con-
stituted session." This clearly implies that, where

THE PASTOR IN THE SESSION 159

there is no pastor, the elders have no power to con-
stitute the session. The vacant congregation receives
its moderator at the hands of the presbytery.

3. Presbyterian law recognizes the pastor as ex
officio moderator of the session.

The Form of Church Government of the Presby-
terian Church says : "The pastor of the congregation
shall always be the moderator of the session, except
when for prudential reasons it may appear advisable
that some other minister should be invited to pre-
side; in which case the pastor may, with the con-
currence of the session, invite such other minister as
they may see meet, belonging to the same presbytery,
to preside in the case. The same expedient may be
adopted in the case of the sickness or absence of the
pastor." — Presh. Form of Govt., Chap. IX, Sec. 3.

The Presbyterian Church has, in one or more in-
stances, chosen a ruling elder to preside in its Gen-
eral Assembly ; but it lays it down in express terms in
its Book of Government that the pastor shall always
be the moderator of the session, with an exception
made in such terms as to strengthen the rule.

That this is regarded as ex officio is made more
evident by a concrete case, as follows:

The Presbytery of Erie memorialized the assem-
bly, presenting this question: ''When a minister has
accepted a call to a congregation, said call having been
placed in his hands by the presbytery, is he, ex officio,
moderator of the session of that congregation previous
to his installation?"

Evidently the presbytery of Erie had no doubt as
to his relation after his installation, and they supposed
that it might even belong to him as pastor-elect, while
awaiting installation.

The committee to which the question was referred
recommended the following answer: "A pastor-
elect is not moderator, ex officio, as he has no official

i6o PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

connection with that church, but he may become
moderator (if he is a member of that presbytery
under whose care the church is) by invitation of the
session or by appointment of presbytery."

In adopting this recommendation, the general as-
sembly decided that a pastor-elect is not, ex officio,
moderator of the session, but a pastor installed is.
See Moore's Digest, pp. 481-482.

The Book of Government and Discipline of the
United Presbyterian Church is specific on this point.

It says : '*The pastor of the congregation is the
standing moderator of the session." — U. P. Govt, and
Discipline, Chapter I, Art. V, Sec. 2.

This is sufficient to show that this is Presbyterian
law, on well-established principles; and while it is
not expressed in such explicit terms in our Book of
Government, it is necessarily implied and has always
been observed as common law.

When, therefore, in the good providence of God,
you are inducted into the pastoral relation, you are
to assume at once your position as moderator of its
session. It would only be an element of weakness
to submit your official position to the vote of the
session when you had already received it from the
hand of the presbytery.

II

The Duties of the Pastor as Moderator of Session.

I. To convene the session.

If the session adjourns without fixing a time and
place for meeting, it is the duty of the moderator to
convene the court when necessary. *'A session is not
dissolved though it adjourns without determining on
a future meeting. A meeting of the session is always
in order at the call of the moderator, and this may

THE PASTOR IN THE SESSION i6i

be made by public intimation or by notice sent to
each member." — Book of Discipline, pp. 99, 100.

No one except the moderator has power to issue a
call for a meeting of session.

The law of the Presbyterian Church as to a quorum
is, that "two elders, if there be as many in a congre-
gation, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum." —
Form of Govt., Chap. IX, Art. 2. This seems to
imply that, however large the session may be, two
elders and the pastor constitute a quorum; but, if
there be only two elders, they must both be present;
if there be but one elder in the congregation, he, with
the pastor, will have power to transact business.
The United Presbyterian Book provides that "in all
ordinary cases, two elders with a minister, or three
elders in the absence of a minister, shall be necessary
to constitute a quorum." — Govt, and Discipline,
Chap. V, Art. I, Sec. 7.

2. To constitute the session.

Church courts act in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and by His authority. When the hour arrives
at which the session has been called to meet, the
pastor, in the chair, rises promptly and announces
that "the hour has come to constitute the session, and
the members will come to order." He then en-
gages in prayer constituting the court, in substance
as follows :

"Be present with us, O Lord, and bless us as a
court of Thy house, when in the name and by the
authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only King
and Head of the Church, we constitute ourselves into
a juridical capacity as we hereby do."

The exact formula of words is not essential, but
it is important that the court shall be formally consti-
tuted in the name of Christ.

The court is also adjourned by a like form. This
is sometimes done by an elder. So important is this

i62 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

act of constituting and adjourning the court by prayer,
that it must be noted in the minutes of every meeting
that it was so done ; and any failure to so record, sub-
jects the minutes to criticism by the higher court as
being "contrary to the law and order of the Church."
— Book of Discipline, p. 98.

The pastor's further duties as moderator are:

3. To state the business before the court.

4. To keep the members to the question.

5. To maintain order.

6. To decide points of order, but not questions of
law.

7. If requested, to sum up the argument before
taking a vote.

8. To vote on a call of the ayes and noes.

9. To give the casting vote when the ayes and noes
are equal.

Ill

The Order of Business in Session.

1. The calling of the roll by the clerk.

2. Devotional exercises.

Not all sessions hold devotional exercises regularly,
but many do so, and with profit.

3. Unfinished business.

It is the duty of the clerk of session to have a re-
port of the items of unfinished business ready to place
in the hands of the moderator at the opening of the
meeting. This he makes up from the records in his
hands. The report on unfinished business will in-
clude: (a) Reports of all special committees previ-
ously appointed; (b) Special items referred to the
standing committees; (c) Items of business left un-
finished at former meetings. If business once insti»
tuted is passed over for one or two meetings, see that

THE PASTOR IN THE SESSION 163

the fact is noted in the records of each meeting, so
that it may not be lost sight of.

4. New business.

This includes the reports of standing committees,
and anything which these may bring forward for ac-
tion. Any member of session is entitled to present
new business. It is the special duty of the modera-
tor to see that nothing requiring attention is over-
looked. He should make a note of matters as they
occur to him and bring them forward at a suitable
opportunity.

5. Adjournment by motion and with prayer.

IV

General Rules for the Guidance of the Moderator.

1. He should recognize that each elder is equal
to himself in ruling power.

The fact that the pastor is, ex oificio, moderator of
the session does not change the other important fact
that he has no superiority in ruling power over the
elders. It is very offensive to independent men if
the moderator in any arbitrary way attempts to con-
trol the action of the court. Elders have their re-
sponsibility as rulers in the house of God and must
be upheld in their rights.

2. If the moderator has settled convictions as to
the decision which ought to be reached, he
should use discretion to prevent elders from
taking grounds against him.

It is often difficult even for good men to yield
when once they have declared their position. The
tact of a pastor is displayed in preventing them from
getting into an attitude of antagonism toward him-
self or toward one another. Occasionally you find
two members of session who are constitutionally op-

i64 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

posed to each other. Whatever one proposes, the
other instinctively opposes. In such cases, the pas-
tor needs to have the skill that disposes. If the op-
position is toward himself, he may control the com-
bative members the way the wife manages her
husband, i. e., by seeming to give up to him, while
she gently leads him her way.

3. The pastor must not exceed his authority in
opposing what he feels to be wrong, but yield
to the decision of the majority.

4. If the case is one in which he cannot conscien-
tiously yield, he may request them to ask ad-
vice from presbytery ; or he may enter his
protest against the action of session on the rec-
ords. This brings it to the attention of pres-
bytery in its review of the records.

5. There may be cases where fidelity will compel
him to complain to presbytery of the action
of his session.

Dr. Thomas Sproull gave the following advice:
"When there is likely to be a difference of opinion
in session, and the moderator's mind is made up, it
is often best for him to give his view first and then
call on the one most likely to agree with him, and
then the next most favorable, thus shaping the course
to harmony."

The strength of the Covenanter Church lies in her
eldership, but it takes a wise pastor to direct that
strength in a straight line.

LECTURE XVII

THE RECEPTION OF MEMBERS

Having spoken of the relation of the pastor to
the session, and, in general, of duties which belong
to him as moderator, it follows, naturally, to con-
sider the several departments of sessional business
in which the pastor is called upon to bear a leading
part. First among these is the reception of members
into the Church, and this will be the subject of to-
day's lecture.

The Different Classes of Applicants, and Hozu Each
Class is to be Received.

I. Members from sister congregations of our own
Church are received by a motion to accept the
certificate and place the name on the roll.
a. Certificates, to be regular, must have the sig-
nature of the moderator and clerk of the
session issuing the same.
The regular form of certificate is found in the
Book of Discipline, p. 134. It reads as follows:

''This certifies that A. B. has, till this date, been a
member of the Reformed Presbyterian congregation

of ; is in good standing in the Church, and free

of all grounds of censure as far as is known to us;
and is hereby dismissed at his (or her) own request,

to be united with the congregation of .

165

i66 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

"Certified by order of session, this day of

, 19—.

"Moderator, . Clerk, — ." _

When an applicant presents a certificate in this
form, all that is necessary is that a motion be made
to accept the certificate and place the name of the
applicant on the roll of members of the congregation.
It is not essential that the applicant be present.

b. If a length of time has elapsed since the is-
sue of the certificate, inquiry should be made
as to the cause of delay in presenting it.

c. A member from a sister congregation should
not be received without a certificate.

This is a matter of good order and of respect
due to the session from whose care the member
comes.

d. If the certificate is not at hand, the party
may be admitted to communion while await-
ing the certificate.

In that case, he communes simply as a visitor from
a sister congregation.

e. Circumstances may arise where an applicant
whose certificate has been delayed should be
admitted to membership with the understand-
ing that the certificate will be secured.

In such case, the facts should be noted on the min-
utes; and, when the certificate is received, that fact
should also be noted. Such a case may occur in or-
ganizing a new congregation.

f. If the certificate contains any exceptions to
the good standing of the applicant, the session
must investigate the case before admitting
the candidate. — Book of Discipline, pp. 62 —
2; 63 — 6.

g. In all cases, the record should contain the full
name of the applicant and of the congregation
from which he comes.

THE RECEPTION OF MEMBERS 167

h. If the member received be the head of a
family, it is well to record the names of all
the minor children of the family who are
not yet in full communion.
The reason for this is that God includes children
with their parents in the Church covenant; and when
the parents are received the children are also taken
under the care of the session and should be enrolled,
as connected with the flock. Their names cannot ap-
pear on the roll of communicants, but may very prop-
erly appear in the minutes of session.

2. Applicants from sister denominations are re-
ceived by certificate and examination. — Book of
Discipline, p. 62 — 2.

a. The applicant should meet with the session.
In the case of members from our own Church, this

is not essential (though desirable) if the certificate
be regular; but in all other cases the candidate must
appear before the session.

b. The certificate of any evangelical denomina-
tion covers all the points of agreement be-
tween that denomination and our own.

c. The examination of the applicant should
cover all the points of difference.

For instance, an applicant from the Reformed Pres-
byterian Church, General Synod, would be examined
on the position of political dissent and the use of
instruments in the worship of God; a United Presby-
terian, on dissent, instrumental music, and secret
orders ; a Presbyterian, on the same, and also on the
use of uninspired songs in worship, and on open
communion; a Methodist, in addition to all these,
would be examined on Calvinistic doctrines and
church government; and a Baptist on the mode of
baptism also, and the right of infants to be baptized.

d. An applicant from the Roman Catholic
Church requires to be rebaptized.

i68 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

Our Church recognizes the validity of the baptism
of all evangelical churches, including those baptized
by immersion, but rejects Romanism as an anti-
Christian system, and denies the validity of its ordi-
nances.

3. Applicants who are baptized members of any
evangelical church are received into full com-
munion on examination and profession of
their faith.

Children of professing parents are born in the
Church and are entitled to the initiatory rite of bap-
tism. To speak of persons already baptized in our
Church as ''joining the Church" when they are re-
ceived into full communion, is not strictly correct and
is productive of error, because it leads such persons
to regard themselves as free from all covenant ob-
ligations until they make a public profession. The
truth is, that they are children of the covenant, and,
if they refuse or neglect to make a public profession,
they despise their birthright and become covenant-
breakers.

N. B. — The record as to their reception should dif-
fer from that taken in from the world. It should
state distinctly that they were baptized members of
the Church, and were admitted into full communion
on examination and profession of their faith.

4. Converts from the world are received on ex-
amination, and profession of faith, and by bap-
tism.

This of course refers to those who have never
been baptized in any evangelical Church. Valid bap-
tism is not to be repeated. — Book of Discipline, page

The examination of those received from the world
is the same as that of children born in the Church,
with the exception made in the Book of Discipline,
page 63, which reads: "The measure of knowledge

THE RECEPTION OF MEMBERS 169

necessary for admission depends, in some degree, on
the capacity and opportunities of improvement which
the applicant may possess; but no one should be ad-
mitted who is ignorant of the first principles of the
system of grace, or holds any sentiments contrary to
the declaration and testimony of this Church." — Book
of Discipline, p. 63 — 4.

This statement meets, and completely answers, the
objection so often heard that our Church maintains
such a high standard that it is impossible to bring
in converts from the world. The session is not re-
quired to maintain a high standard of knowledge and
to enforce a fixed rule as to attainments, regardless
of the circumstances and opportunities of the appli-
cant. The absolute requirements are simply two.

(i) They shall admit no one "who is ignorant

of the first principles of the system of grace."

(2) They shall admit no one "who holds any

sentiments contrary to the declaration and

testimony of this Church."

Who would ask anything broader than that? How

reasonable are such requirements !

5. May one be admitted to membership in our

Church who does not fully endorse all the

Church's positions?

For reply to this question, see Testimony, Chapter

xxii, Sec. 2, Error 6; Book of Discipline, p. 63, Sec. 4.

A study of these passages will reveal the following

principles :

a. The candidate should be sufficiently ac-
quainted with the doctrines and usages of the
Church to intelligently endorse them.
The Book of Discipline says: "Every one who is
able to read and to understand the terms of com-
munion and the documents to which they refer, must
give evidence that he has diligently read and that he
doth approve them." The formal act of having read

170 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

the documents is not absolutely essential, provided
the candidate is in possession of the necessary knowl-
edge.

b. A candidate should not be received into the
Church, who, being acquainted with her posi-
tion, is conscientiously opposed to any of
her doctrines or usages.

The Testimony specifically condemns it as an er-
ror, "that any person may be admitted to communion
who opposes any of the terms of Church fellowship."
Testimony, Chap, xxii, Error 6.

This is manifestly right. Church vows are of the
nature of a covenant with God, and no one can sin-
cerely covenant with God on a basis which he regards
as contrary to God's word.

c. If a convert gives evidence of being a true
believer, and an honest inquirer after the
truth, the session should take into account
his capacities and opportunities in deciding
the question of his admission.

The Book of Discipline says: "The measure of
knowledge necessary for admission depends, in some
degree, on the capacity and opportunities of improve-
ment which the applicant may possess."

d. No one should be admitted to full commun-
ion in the Church who will not promise to
conform his life to the teachings of the
Church while making further diligent inquiry
concerning their truth.

That any one should claim the privilege of violat-
ing his public profession of faith on the ground that
he is in doubt as to its Scriptural warrant, is absurd.
If he is in doubt, he must give the Church whose
privileges he seeks to enjoy, the benefit of the doubt.
He has no right to live in the practice of doubtful
things while professing obedience to Christ.

THE RECEPTION OF MEMBERS 171

II

Hozv to Conduct the Examination of Candidates for
Church Membership.

1. Endeavor to set the candidates at ease.
Unless you have a vivid recollection of your own

experience in appearing before session, you will
hardly be able to appreciate the extreme diffidence,
and even dread, experienced by persons, young and
old, in appearing before the Church court for exam-
ination. It is well to introduce the service with
kindly and assuring words calculated to secure pres-
ence of mind and the use of their faculties to the
persons to be examined.

2. Make the examination simple, and on essential
gospel truths.

It is an entire mistake to suppose that the object
of the service is to measure the full capacity of the
candidates. It is merely to determine whether they
have sufficient attainments in knowledge and grace
to make a credible profession.

3. Examine carefully on the distinctive princi-
ples of the Church.

It is important that the profession be made in-
telligently. A skillfully conducted examination will
greatly assist those whose knowledge is imperfect.
It is a great mistake to pass lightly over points on
which the mind of the candidate is supposed to be
hesitating. Let the moderator, if he formulate his
questions in such a way as to instruct the candidate
what his answers ought to be, see to it that his ques-
tions are not being answered without being under-
stood; rather, he should let the questions be so
clearly understood that a christian conscience cannot
hesitate to answer correctly.

172 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

4. Deal tenderly and yet closely with them as to
their religious experience and habits of life.

The instruction on this point in the Book of Dis-
cipline is exceedingly judicious. It says:

''Great prudence and delicacy are necessary in ex-
amination of an applicant's piety, as no man can as-
certain whether another is really a believer; but the
Church is a holy generation and cannot consistently
admit any one evidently destitute of piety, or who
professes to be unregenerate. Every member must
give satisfactory evidence of his living in the practice
of secret prayer and family religion ; and must intel-
ligently profess both respect for experimental godli-
ness and acquiescence in the plan of salvation revealed
in the Holy Scriptures." — Book of Discipline, p. 63.

Caution should be used in questioning persons as to
their habits of secret prayer and reading of the Bible,
not to tempt them to any prevarication. It would re-
quire great integrity and moral courage for a young
person to confess his neglect of these duties in
the presence of the session after other young per-
sons had declared their observance of them ; and
especially if their admission to the Church was under-
stood to depend on their answering in the affirmative.
It is sometimes better to put it in another form, e. g.,
"Do you recognize the duty and the privilege of secret
prayer and engage to attend diligently upon this means
of grace daily, morning and evening?"

5. Make clear the duty of a complete and unre-
served surrender to God.

One, in addressing young converts, said: "Getl
wholly into Christ ; get wholly in ; you will find it
hard to live a Christian life if you do not get
WHOLLY IN." This truth should be emphasized
at such a time. Do not permit applicants to rest in
the fact that they are getting wholly into the Church
without getting wholly into Christ.

THE RECEPTION. OF MEMBERS 173

6. Explain and impress the nature of covenant
vows and obligations.

There is a fearful and alarming disregard of these
in the Church. The apparent ease with which even
ministers of the Gospel cast off their vows to the
Church and to Christ is a sad commentary on this
truth. An aged minister having been sent by pres-
bytery to inquire into difficulties which had arisen in a
certain congregation reported as follows: "I just
found two things the matter with the people of that
congregation: First, an utter disregard of their
covenant obligations ; second, a doleful lack of grace."
It was a strong indictment. These two things are
sure to go together.

7. Give the members of session an opportunity to
advise and counsel the candidates.

This will come in appropriately on a motion to re-
ceive them into full communion, but guard against
tedious and commonplace exhortations.

8. Close the service with a brief prayer and as
moderator of the session, welcome the candi-
dates with the right hand of fellowship.

9. A formal reception may be given in the pres-
ence of the congregation.

a. Have the candidates come forward.

b. Propose to them the terms of communion.

c. Close with a brief address and give them
tokens of admission to the Lord's table.

10. Announce the names of new members to the
congregation and commend them to the prayers
and fellowship of the church.

An appropriate time is Saturday before the com-
munion and should include all received since the
previous communion. May the Lord, through the
ministry of each of you, add to the Church daily such
as shall be saved.

LECTURE XVIII

THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS

The purpose of to-day's lecture is to give in-
struction in conducting the election of elders and
deacons.

What is the Province of the Session Prelinvinary to
the Election of OMcersf

I. To decide when there shall be an increase in
the number of officers, and to determine the
number to be chosen.

A. The people may petition the session for an
election.

B. The board of deacons may request the session
to provide for an increase of the board.

C. It belongs to the session to decide upon the
necessity for an election.

D. In case a session persistently declines to ar-
range for an election, a petition may be pre-
sented to presbytery. — Book of Discipline, p.
103, Chap. VII, Sec. i, and p. 104, Sec. 4.

It requires great prudence on the part of the session
to determine when an election of officers is desirable
or necessary. They should be careful not to thwart
the right of the people to choose additional officers,
and the people should move very cautiously in going
over the heads of the session to secure their supposed
right from presbytery.

174

THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS 175

2. To fix the time and give sufficient notice to
the people.

A. Usually it is best to set the time not very
far ahead.

The tendency is to put forward candidates and to
engage in electioneering, if too much time elapses be-
tween the announcement and the election. Pastors
generally prefer to have little discussion beforehand,
and, for this reason, they make the time as short as
is permissible. However, we should not err on the
other extreme.

B. About ten days is a reasonable time.

The Book of Discipline specifies ten days' notice
in case of the election of a pastor, and then says, as to
the election of elders and deacons: "The same shall
be publicly intimated to the congregation a sufficient
time before the election takes place." — Book of Disci-
pline, p. 103, Sec. 4. The United Presbyterian Book
fixes the time at ten days.

C. Notice should be given from the pulpit, or
in all the societies in case there is no public
worship.

3. The session or any member of the congregation
may propose the names of candidates to the
people. — Book of Discipline, p. loi, 5; and
104, 6.

The Book provides that any member in regular
standing may, on the day of the election of a pastor,
propose a candidate, and this seems to be implied in
the case of the election of other officers where it is
said that "as far as applicable, the same rules shall
apply to them."

The United Presbyterian Book says: "If the ses-
sion has previously agreed upon suitable persons, it
shall nominate them to the congregation; yet this
shall not preclude the nomination of others by any
member of the congregation."

176 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

It is very seldom that any of our sessions take the
responsibiHty of naming candidates. When votes are
widely scattered they may advise the people to con-
centrate on those receiving the highest vote. That
is about as far as they can venture to influence an
election. The pastor must be exceedingly careful
not to interfere in any way with the freedom of
choice.

n

The Order of Exercises in Conducting an Election
of Officers.

1. The pastor should preach an appropriate sermon.
The following themes will suggest others equally

suitable :

A. The Sacredness of the Church, her Institu-
tions and Officers.

B. The Qualifications of Church Officers.

C. The Responsibility of Electors.

D. The Need of Divine Guidance.

E. The Glory of God the Supreme Motive.
Use every effort to drive out a spirit of levity or of

acrimony and to quicken the spiritual natures of the
people.

2. Constitute the session.

The election is held in constituted court. The
whole procedure is under direction of the session.
Questions may arise which require a judicial decision.

3. Appoint two persons of respectable character,
not members of the congregation, to act as
judges. — Book of Discipline, p. loi. Sec. 4.

The duties of the judges are :

A. Not to decide on the voters, but on the votes.
The session alone determines the qualifications of

electors, and furnishes the list of those qualified to
vote.

B. One judge reads the ballots; the other assists

THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS 177

the clerk of session in keeping the tally. —
Book of Discipline, p. loi, 2, Sec. 10.
C. The judges count the votes and certify to the
moderator how the vote stands.
4. Take the vote.

A. The roll of those entitled to vote is made up
beforehand, and consists of all members in
full communion. — Book of Discipline, p. loi,
Sec. 8; p. 102, Sec. 10.

The rule is specific. The session should be care-
ful to have the roll correct and complete. No one
is to be permitted to vote who would not be admitted
to the Lord's table; and no one to be excluded who
would be allowed to commune, provided he is a
member of the congregation.

B. Three ways are prescribed in which the vote
may be taken.

a. By uplifted hands.

This method supposes the nomination of candidates
and is seldom employed, except in cases where one
who is already ordained is to be chosen for installa-
tion ; or in other cases where the choice is a foregone
conclusion and the election a mere formality. The
principal argument in favor of this method is the
quickness with which it can be done, and this has
little weight when compared with the importance of
the service.

b. By calling the names of the members.
This is better than the first method, but not so good

as the third, which is,

c. By ballot.

The advantages of this method are —

(i) It gives dignity to the service.

(2) It avoids unnecessary wounding of the
feelings.

(3) By its secrecy, it gives greater free-
dom to the electors.

178 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

C. How to conduct the ballot.

a. Name one or two tellers for each aisle of
the church to collect the ballots.

b. Let the clerk of session call the roll as
previously prepared.

c. Instruct the voters how many names are
to be placed on the ballot.

d. As each voter's name is called, let the mem-
ber rise and answer ''here"; and the teller
nearest, present the ballot box; then, as
the ballot is deposited, announce distinctly
the word, "vote," when the clerk of ses-
sion checks off the name, and the judges
tally the vote.

D. Proxy votes.

a. The party sending a proxy vote should
prepare it himself.

It is not proper that a member of the family in
attendance, or any other, should prepare proxy votes
for absent members, even if morally certain how the
absent one would vote if present.

b. Proxy votes should be sent in sealed enve-
lopes.

c. The name of the voter is not to be signed
to the ballot, but to be written on the out-
side of the envelope.

The object of this is to identify the voter and yet
preserve the secrecy of the ballot.

d. The envelope should be addressed to the
session.

e. When the name is called, the person hav-
ing the proxy in charge places it in the
hand of the moderator, who takes it from
its envelope and, without reading the bal-
lot, drops it into the ballot box, announcing
"proxy vote." The judges tally it on a
separate list as a proxy vote.

THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS 179

f. Proxy votes can be counted only on the
first ballot. — Book of Discipline, p. no,
Sec. 10.

5. Count the ballots.

A. Count the ballots in the box to see that the
number corresponds to the tally sheet.

B. One of the judges reads the ballots aloud in
the hearing of the electors.

C. The other judge and the clerk of session re-
cord the vote. — Book of Discipline, p. loi,
Sec. 10.

6. Announce the result.

A majority ballot is necessary to a choice. The
usual method of announcing is —

A. The whole number of ballots cast.

B. The number necessary to a choice.

C. The number received by each candidate.

D. The names of those elected.
For example —

a. The whole number of ballots cast for
three members, 100; making 300 votes.

b. Necessary to a choice, 51, i.e., one more
than half the ballot.

c. John Doe received 90 out of the 300;
Richard Roe 85 ; John Smith 49 ; the rest
scattering; or you may read the number
to each one in the list.

d. John Doe and Richard Roe, each having
received a majority of the ballot are
duly elected. If no one candidate re-
ceives a vote on a majority of the voting
slips, the announcement will be : "No
candidate having received a majority,
there is no election."

7. In case there is no election, the session deter-
mines whether there shall be a second ballot.

8. Fix a time for the examination of the candi-

i8o PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

dates-elect, and, if there is no further business,
adjourn.
It is not usually wise to question the candidates as
to their acceptance just at that time,

HI

Contingencies Which May Arise in Connection zvith
an Election of Officers.

1. It may be prudent for session, after the first
ballot, to reconsider their action fixing the num-
ber to be elected: either,

A. To stop with the number elected on the first
ballot; or,

B. To increase the number so as to include
those whose votes are then equal or nearly so.

2. It may be necessary to adjourn the election to
another time.

In such cases, there must be no ground for the
suspicion that the session, foreseeing that further
balloting would result in the election of some one
undesirable to them, resorted to this measure in order
to defeat the will of the people.

3. The persons chosen may at once decline to
serve.

Usually it is not best to accept their declinature at
that time; because (a) they have not sufficiently con-
sidered the matter; (b) it may be difficult to secure
others.

IV

A Word of Caution.

Presbyterian government is popular government.
See that the will of the people is not defeated. To
this end, make sure that they understand the method
of voting, and make every effort to have a full vote.

LECTURE XIX

THE ORDINATION AND INSTALLATION
OF OFFICERS

The setting apart of men to office in the Church
of Christ is a service of pecuhar solemnity, and the
pastor should prepare for it with great care, and con-
duct the services with gravity and decorum.

Note the Distinction Betzveen Ordination and In-
stallation.

1. Ordination is that ceremony by which the per-
sons duly elected are inducted into office. In-
stallation is the act by which the relation is
constituted between the officer and the congre-
gation. The first clothes the man with office;
the second qualifies him to exercise his office
in a particular field.

2. Ordination of an officer is never repeated, for
ordination is not made void by the dissolution
of the relation constituted by installation. An
ordained officer, when called to office in a new
field, is not re-ordained, but is installed anew.

3. An installation is conducted the same as ordi-
nation and installation, with the exception of
the act of ordination itself. — Book of Disci-
pline, p. 107, Sees. 7, 8.

181

i82 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

II

Exercises Preliminary to Ordination.

I. The examination of the candidates,
(i) This is done in constituted session.

In a recent case, the review of sessional records
brought out the fact that the moderator of the ses-
sion had examined the candidate at his home, and
reported to session, and that the examination was ap-
proved. The presbytery condemned this course as
being "contrary to the law and order of the Church."

The Book of Discipline, p. 104, Sec. 5, says: "A
time is then fixed by the session for the examination
of the candidates." This clearly implies that the
session will conduct the examination.

The form of the edict reads: "Messrs. A., B.,
etc., having been chosen to the office of ruling elder
by this congregation, and being examined by session
and judged qualified to take the office," etc. — Book
of Discipline, p. 133.

Furthermore, the law for the reception of members
is specific: "The minister shall examine in the pres-
ence and with the help of the elders of the church
in a constituted session, all applicants for admission
to the church." — Book of Discipline, p. 63, Sec. 3.
No one will say that the examination for officers
should be less formal and authoritative than the exam-
ination for membership.

The United Presbyterian law is specific: "Before
the ordination of ruling elders and deacons, the ses-
sion shall meet to examine the persons elect as to
their acceptance of the office, their views in under-
taking it, and their qualifications for it." — Book of
Govt., Chap. VII, Art. 2, Sec. i.

(2) What should the examination include?
a. Their knowledge of the doctrines of grace.

ORDINATION OF OFFICERS 183

This is necessary, especially in the case of the
elders. Their duties include the instruction of the
youth, family visitation, the visitation of the sick,
the examination of applicants for membership : all
of which require acquaintance with the truths of
Revelation.

b. Their soundness in the faith and practices
of the Church.

It is highly important that office-bearers not only
should know, but that they should conscientiously be-
lieve, the doctrines of the Church, and approve of all
its practices. It is a great misfortune to a congre-
gation to have officers who are half-hearted in their
profession. It is like having disloyal commanders in
an army. It is likely to result in a betrayal of the
cause. The examination should, therefore, cover all
the distinctive principles of the Church.

c. Their Christian character and deportment.
The officers are to be ensamples to the flock; and

they stand before the world as chosen representatives
of Christianity. They ought to be like John the Bap-
tist, who was "a burning and a shining light" ; burn-
ing with zeal, and shining with purity.

Under this point comes the question which Synod
has directed to be asked of all candidates for office
in the Church : i. e., Do you use tobacco ? Some-
times the objection is made that until this is made a
term of communion it should not be made a condition
of office. But the objection is not well founded.
The New Testament lays down a special standard for
office-bearers in the Church.

d. Their acquaintance with, and qualifications
for, the office to which they are to be or-
dained.

It is possible for one to be an intelligent Christian
and living an exemplary life and yet be deficient in
qualities necessary to official trust. It would be a

i84 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

delicate matter to refuse ordination to one whom the
people had chosen, on the ground that he lacked fit-
ness for the office. The examination, however, fur-
nishes an opportunity for imparting instruction as to
the duties of the office, and this should not be over-
looked in the examination. If it does nothing more
than to reveal to the candidate his need for greater
endowments, and for a careful study of the nature
of the office which he is about to undertake, it will
have done much.

2. Fix a time and place for hearing objections.
The session, having examined the candidates and

judged them qualified, is then to give opportunity to
the people to bring forward any reason known to
them, why the ordination should not take place.
With such exceeding care has the Church guarded
the rights of the people as to their rulers.

A. The weight to be attached to objections will
be determined —

a. By the character and standing of the ob-
jectors.

b. By the nature of the objections.

c. By the manifest, or probable, motives in
presenting them.

B. It may be prudent for a candidate to give
way to the opposition, even where he does
not admit its justice.

3. Direct the edict to be read.

The form of the edict is found in the Book of Disci-
pline, p. 133. It is the same for elder and deacon,
except the name of the office. It is well to write it
out, filling the blank for the names, so as to use the
exact phraseology. The edict is to be read for two
Sabbaths before the ordination. — Book of Discipline,
p. 105.

ORDINATION OF OFFICERS 185

III

The Order of Exercises in the Ordination Serine es.

1. Convene and constitute the session.

2. Read the edict.

This is the opening act of the ordination service.
The rule is specific. ''And on the day of ordination
immediately before the services commence, the edict
shall be read. This is done by order of the court
which meets and constitutes in some convenient place
shortly before the services are to commence. An
edict shall be served in the same manner before the
ordination, or admission, of ruling elders and dea-
cons."— Book of Discipline, pp. 105, 106.

This requirement to convene and constitute the ses-
sion beforehand is not always observed; and, where
the preliminaries have been regularly attended to, it
may not be necessary. In reading the edict for the
last time, change the last sentence to read, "Which is
now constituted."

3. Preach the ordination sermon.

This should be appropriate to the occasion and
should not exceed thirty minutes in length. Suitable
subjects are: The Church: Her Organization and
Laws; The Duties and Responsibilities of Church
Officers : The Grace and Support Promised ; The
Steward's Accountability to God; Watching for
Souls.

4. Call the court to order and invite the candi-
dates forward.

It is very important to explain to the candidates
beforehand what they will be expected to do. Make
clear to them the several steps, even to the minutest
particulars.

5. Give a brief narrative of the previous steps.
Write this out so that you can say the exact thing.

i86 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

This narrative will relate that at its meeting on such
a date the session resolved upon an increase of offi-
cers ; that such a time was fixed for the election ; that
due notice was given to the congregation ; that the
election was regularly conducted according to the
prescribed order ; that the persons now before the con-
gregation were duly elected ; that they have already
been examined by the session and judged qualified to
undertake the office to which they stand elected; that
the edict has been properly served on three several
occasions, and that no objections having been made
(or sustained) the session has now resolved to go
forward with the ordination.

6. Propose the prescribed queries in Book of Dis-
cipline, pp. 117-119. Testimony, pp. 251, 252.

7. Take the engagements of the parties.
Question the candidates as to their willingness to

undertake the office in this congregation and the con-
gregation as to their acceptance of these as officers.

In ordaining ministers, the Form of Church Gov-
ernment provides that: ''After the sermon, the min-
ister who hath preached shall in the face of the
congregation demand of him who is now to be or-
dained . . ." Here follow his engagements. Again :
*Tn all which, having declared himself, professed his
willingness, and promised his endeavors by the help
of God, the minister likewise shall demand of the
people concerning their willingness to receive and
acknowledge him as the minister of Christ, and to
obey and submit unto him, as having rule over them
in the Lord, and to maintain, encourage, and assist
him in all the parts of his office." — Book of Discipline,
p. 52, Sees. 6, 7.

It is evident that the design of this part of the
service is to take the mutual engagements of the par-
ties to each other. It is not taking a vote whether
they will or will not, which would be equivalent to a

ORDINATION OF OFFICERS 187

reelection; it is simply taking their engagement that
they will. It is like the engagement of parents in
receiving baptism for their children, or the vows of
husband and wife in entering into the marriage rela-
tion. The queries are to be audibly answered in the
hearing of the congregation.

It is customary to carry out the same idea in the
ordination and installation of elders and deacons.
See United Presbyterian Govt, and Disc, Chap. VII,
Art. II, Sees. 8, 9, 10, and Presbyterian Book of
Govt., Chap. XIII, Sees. 4, 5.

N. B. In some copies of the Book of Discipline
there is an error in Query 5, p. 118, where the phrase,
"And from the unity of the Christian Church," is
made to read: "And form the unity of the Christian
Church."

8. The candidates kneel for the ordination prayer.
The arrangements for this should be carefully made,

and in such a way that there shall be no difficulty pre-
sented to the members of the court in performing the
ceremony of the imposition of hands.

One who has been ordained does not kneel for in-
stallation.

9. The ordination prayer.

The pattern for this is given in Book of Discipline,
p. 53. Prepare carefully for this prayer, noting two
things :

(i) The act is performed in the name of

Christ.
(2) There is a proper moment for the impo-
sition of hands.
It is not necessary that the hands should remain
upon the heads of the candidates until the close of
the prayer.

10. The members of the court extend the right
hand of fellowship both to elders and to dea-
cons.

i88 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

11. Address to the officers.

12. Address to the congregation.

These addresses should be admonitory, encourag-
ing, and affectionate. Do not mar the occasion by
rebukes and severity for past remissness on the part
of the old officers. Strive to make the service up-
lifting to the soul and pleasant to the memory.

13. The officers sign the terms of communion, and,
if elders, take their places at once as mem-
bers of the court.

Do all things in order.

LECTURE XX
THE EXERCISE OF DISCIPLINE

The parable of The Tares and the' Wheat is fre-
quently quoted as opposed to the exercise of disci-
pline in the Church. Does not our Lord say : "Let
both grow together until the harvest ; lest, while ye
pull up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with
them ?"

Fortunately our Lord expounded the parable.
"The field is the world," He says. It will not do, in
the face of His declaration, to say, "The field is the
Church." And if the field is the world, and the
harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are
the angels, then the parable is not spoken with refer-
ence to the exercise of Church discipline, but refers
to God's providential government of the world.

"Discipline is the exercise of that authority with
which the Lord Jesus Christ has clothed the officers
of His Church, to deal with offenders according to
the laws which He has given in His word." — United
Presbyterian Book of Govt, and Disc, Chap. I, Part
III.

Murphy says : "This is, of all duties devolving
upon pastor and session, the most difficult and un-
pleasant; and yet it cannot be ignored without bring-
ing the Church into contempt, and seriously injuring
the cause. The purity of the Church, the honor of
the cause of God, the value of the privileges of mem-
bership, the good of offenders, even the existence of
an organized body of believers, demand that it shall
be sometimes exercised."

189

190 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

It is therefore important that painstaking instruc-
tion be given to candidates for the pastoral office in
regard to this difficult and yet necessary department
of their work. I am happy to confess to you, young
men, that I have less experience in this line of pastoral
duty than in any other of which I have spoken to you
in this course of lectures.

Let us consider:

The Objects of Church Discipline.

1. To vindicate the honor and authority of Jesus
Christ.

Ezek. xxii, 26. (R. V.) — "Her priests have done
violence to my law, and have profaned my holy
things: they have put no difference between the holy
and the common; neither have they caused men to
discern between the unclean and the clean; and have
hid their eyes from my Sabbaths ; and I am profaned
among them."

Ezek. xliv, 6-8. (R. V.)— "And thou shalt say to
the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, thus saith
the Lord God: O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you
of all your abominations, in that ye have brought
in aliens, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised
in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even
my house when ye offer my bread, the fat and the
blood, and they have broken my covenant to add unto
all their abominations."

The passages show how Christ is wounded in the
house of His friends when the most sacred mysteries
of His holy religion are thrown open to the profane
and to the unclean.

2. To maintain the truth:

The Church is "the pillar and ground of the truth."

EXERCISE OF DISCIPLINE 191

The Church at Ephesus received high commendation
from her Lord for her fidelity in the exercise of disci-
pline for the maintenance of doctrine. Rev. ii, i, 2 —
"Unto the angel of the Church of Ephesus write:
These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in
his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the
seven golden candlesticks: I know thy works and
thy toil and thy patience, and that thou canst not
bear evil men; and didst try them which call them-
selves Apostles, and they are not, and didst find them
false."

On the other hand the Church at Pergamos is se-
verely rebuked for the lack of discipline for false
teaching. Rev. ii, 14. (R. V.) — "I have a few things
against thee, because thou hast there some that hold
the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast
a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to
eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornica-
tion. So hast thou also some that hold the teaching
of the Nicolaitans in like manner."

All trials for heresy are for the defense of truth.
Rom. xvi, 17: "Mark them which cause divisions
and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned; and avoid them."

3. To preserve the ordinances in their purity.
Rev. xi, I, 2: "And there was given me a reed

like unto a rod ; and the angel said. Rise, and measure
the temple, and the altar, and them that worship
therein." The angel who gave this instruction is the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Covenant. He
is the only King and Head of Zion, and He here
directs that the standard of the word of God shall be
applied to His church in her constitution and govern-
ment, her worship and the character of her wor-
shipers. This is the use of the discipline of the
Church to preserve the purity of her ordinances.

4. To exclude the unholy from sealing ordinances.

192 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

Ezek. xliii, 10-12: "Thou son of man, shew the
house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed
of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.
And if they be ashamed of all that they have done,
shew them the form of the house and the fashion
thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings
in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordi-
nances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the
laws thereof, and write it in their sight, that they
may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordi-
nances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the
house. Upon the top of the mountain the whole
limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold,
this is the law of the house."

This passage is applied to the service known as
debarring, or ''fencing the tables" ; but it is also a
warrant for the exercise of discipline to restrain the
unholy and profane from approaching the holy sacra-
ment impenitently.

5. To reclaim offenders.

I Cor. V, 4, 5 : 'Tn the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit,
with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ: To deliver
such an one unto Satan, for the destruction of the
flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus."

Here the ends of discipline, so far as the offender
is concerned, are clearly stated. It is for the destruc-
tion of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved. It is
an exceedingly difficult thing in these days to con-
vince the subjects of Church discipline that they are
being dealt with for their own good. Experience has
proved the efficiency of this means of grace. Men
can be made both moral and religious by law.

6. To deter others from sin.

I Tim. V, 20: "Them that sin, rebuke before all,
that others also may be in fear." Deut. xiii, 11:

EXERCISE OF DISCIPLINE 193

"And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no
more any such wickedness among you." See Book
of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 4.

II

The Spirit in Which Discipline is to he Exercised.

One of the most important, as well as the most
difficult, of things, is for the pastor to keep himself
and the session in the right frame of mind. So many
things occur to arouse wrong feelings and to warp
the judgment.

The proper exercise of discipline demands :

1. The spirit of pray erf illness.

When Samuel was sent to reprove Saul, we are
told that ''he cried all night unto God." That is the
kind of preparation the pastor needs when entering
upon a case of discipline. Dr. Wilcox, in The Pastor
and His Flock, says : "Never let the process of disci-
pline degenerate into a cold, technical trial of charges.
Commence every session held in the course of it with
earnest prayer. Suffuse the whole with a devout and
tender spirit."

2. The spirit of humility.

The very fact that there is a call for the exercise
of discipline should humble the pastor. A member
of his flock is out of the way. Is it through his own
remissness in teaching or warning or guiding his
people? The fact that we are clothed with authority
over the lives of others is used by the adversary to
foster pride, and nothing could be more detrimental
to the good results of discipline than any display of
this spirit before those who are the subjects of disci-
pline. Gal. vi, I : "Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one
in the spirit of meekness ; considering thyself lest thou
also be tempted."

194 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

3. The spirit of wisdom.

It requires discretion to determine when a process
of discipHne is absolutely necessary. We may err
either in being too hasty or in being too reluctant in
taking up a case. And not only when, but howf
The sad consequences which may result from our
blundering may well evoke the cry, ''Who is sufficient
for these things ?" James i, 5 : "If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him." James iii, 17: ''But the wisdom that is from
above is fii'st pure, then peaceable; gentle, and easy
to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, with-
out partiality, and without hypocrisy."

4. The spirit of firmness.

All exercise of authority calls for this quality. A
weak vacillating policy only excites the contempt of
the people. If you touch a nettle, grasp it firmly.
If proper caution has been exercised in entering upon
a case, firmness and fidelity in carrying it forward
will command respect.

Ill
Who May Be Subjects of Discipline by the Session.

1. All the officers of the congregation except the
pastor.

Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 2, p. 70, ^ i :
"The presbytery, in the case of ministers ; and the
session, in every other case, is the competent author-
ity to commence and finish a process for scandal,
unless a reference or appeal be made to the superior
judicatory."

2. All church members capable of committing
such offenses as are proper subjects of disci-
pline.

EXERCISE OF DISCIPLINE 195

Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. i, H 3: ''All
church members capable of committing such offenses
are liable to discipline, whatever station they may
occupy in life. Even minors, after they shall have
arrived at the years of discretion or after having been
admitted to the Lord's table, are, in all respects,
equally with those of more advanced years, subject to
corrective discipline."

3. Baptized children of the church, though not
in full communion.

Doubts have been expressed on this point, but the
language of the Book is specific.

Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. i, p. 69, ^ 3:
*'As the criminal diffidence and neglect of those young
persons who do not choose to make an early profes-
sion of the Faith cannot invalidate the obligation
arising from the divine law and their own baptism,
so it is not to prevent the application to them of that
discipline which the Redeemer has appointed for His
family."

The United Presbyterian Book of Government and
Discipline, Part III, Chap. I, Sec. 5, says : ''All bap-
tized persons, being members of the church, are under
its care and subject to its authority and discipline;
and, having attained the years of discretion, are bound
to perform all the duties of church members."

IV

Offenses Which Require the Exercise of Discipline.

1. Offenses may be either private or public.

a. Private offenses are such as are known only
to an individual; or, at most, to a few.

b. Public offenses are such as are generally
known; or are known to many.

2. Offenses may be either personal or general.

196 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

a. A personal offense is a wrong done to an
individual, or to individuals.

b. A general offense is any heresy or immorality
having no personal relation, or apart from
it. — United Presbyterian Govt, and Disci-
pline, Part HI, Chap, 2.

These distinctions are important, because the pro-
cedure will vary in some respects in reference to
these several classes.

3. Offenses may relate to either Doctrine, Char-
acter, or Conduct,
a. An offense in Doctrine is called Heresy,
h. An offense in Character is called Immorality.

c. An offense in Conduct is called Contempt,

Who May Prefer Charges f

1. Any person of good character, whether a mem-
ber of the church or not. — Book of Discipline,
Chap, n. Sec. 2, p. 70, U 3.

a. No one not of good fame can be an accuser.

b. No one who is himself under process for
scandal.

c. Charges should be cautiously received from
an accuser who is not under your jurisdic-
tion.

The reason for this caution is that the person bring-
ing a charge is liable to censure if he fails to sub-
stantiate it; but if he is not under your jurisdiction
he cannot be held to account in this way. Hence a
session must guard its members from outside perse-
cution,— See Book of Discipline, Chap. HI, Sec. 2, ]f 3.

2. In private or personal injury the complainant
should be the prosecutor; but no person can be
compelled to become an accuser (Sec. 3).

EXERCISE OF DISCIPLINE 197

3. In public scandals, the session may be compelled
to become prosecutor.

''All processes on account of scandals originally
private and belonging to the class of personal tres-
passes must be pursued in the name of the com-
plainer ; but, if the scandal becomes public, the Church
judicatory is bound to commence the process against
one or both parties, rather than tolerate the evil with-
out applying the remedy." — Book of Discipline, Chap.
Ill, Sec. 2 and Sec. 4.

VI

Preliminaries to Process.

1. Use all possible endeavors to adjust the case
without process.

On this point Murphy says: ''It is extremely diffi-
cult at the present time so to conduct a process of
discipline as to impart to it any value either to the
offenders or to the Church; and when not so con-
ducted it will do harm rather than good. On this
account a process of discipline should never be en-
tered upon until it is seen to be absolutely indis-
pensable. Every possible effort to reclaim the offender
should first be made in private. It is hardly ever
wise for a pastor to encourage the prosecution of a
member of his church when the matter is one which
is personal with himself."

This last sentiment I would underscore. Pastors
have been permanently injured in their usefulness by
well-meant prosecutions undertaken in defense of
their good names.

2, Not every fault is a censurable scandal.

The Testimony, Chap. XXXI, Sec. 2, says: "A
scandal is not everything which is sinful or dis-

198 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

pleaseth, but something in a professor's carriage
which, either in itself, or from its circumstances, may-
tempt others to sin, expose the Church to just re-
proach, or mar the spiritual comfort of saints."

The Book of Discipline suggests great caution on
this point. It says: 'The process which is intended
to remove scandal, frequently, from the misguided
zeal or passion of the parties concerned, generates
new scandal demanding Church censure ; and in no
case is more prudence and delicacy required on the
part of the Church officers, to maintain order, to dis-
criminate and to administer promptly due censure
with an amiable severity."

"Due censure with an amiable severity'' is good,

3. Even violations of Church law often can be
settled without formal process.

The parties may be invited to appear before session
without citation, make their own statement in refer-
ence to the offense, and submit to the judgment of
session, based upon their own statement of the case.
As a pastor I secured the settlement of many cases
of that kind in that way. I had cases of sitting on
juries, and of voting; but I had also cases of ante-
nuptial fornication, and of drunkenness, all satisfac-
torily adjusted without formal process; and two
decades have proved that the repentance was sincere
in every case. Of course, such settlements are not
to be made at the expense of the laws of the Church,
but by the parties voluntarily submitting themselves
to the authority of the session without formal trial.

4. Parties may be required to submit financial diffi-
culties to an arbitration. See Minutes of
Synod, 1893; ^' P- & ^v P- 249.

With all these precautions as to beginning process,
bear in mind that discipline is a divine institution for
most exalted and noble ends ; that its proper exercise
is not to be shirked, but that it is to be employed with

EXERCISE OF DISCIPLINE i99

implicit faith that God will bless his own ordinance
to the honoring of His name and the salvation of
His people. "It is impossible but that offenses will
come, but woe unto that man through whom the
offense cometh."

LECTURE XXI

INSTITUTING PROCESS

When all efforts for private settlement have failed
and it finally becomes necessary to enter upon the
judicial investigation of a case, it is of much impor-
tance that the session proceed in an orderly way.
Instructions on this point will occupy the present
lecture.

I

Preferring Charges.

I. In the case of personal offenses.

a. The accuser must submit his charge in writ-
ing.— Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 2,

Us-

This requirement is specific and the reasons are
obvious. Before the matter can go any further the
session must determine whether the case warrants the
framing of a libel, and must have the charge in writ-
ing in order to pass upon it. If the accuser does not
submit his charge in writing, he may afterwards com-
plain that the session did not frame the libel in ac-
cordance with his charge. Always insist, therefore,
on compliance with this rule.

b. He must specify the offense, and the time
when, and the place where, it was committed.

It will not do to take up some general charge of
conduct unbecoming a Christian. Some definite act

INSTITUTING PROCESS 201

must be specified and the time and place designated,
so that the accused may have opportunity to know
what he has to meet, and how to prepare his defense.
Besides, charges are not admissible after a certain
period has elapsed.

c. He must give the names of all his witnesses.
The session cannot judge whether the evidence is

sufficient to make the charge capable of proof, until
they know who are to be called to substantiate the
charge. The accuser, therefore, in making the
charge, must name his witnesses.

d. He must show that he has complied with
Christ's rule.

Matt, xviii, 15-17: "And if thy brother sin
against thee, go show him his fault between thee and
him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother. But if he hear thee not, take with thee one
or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses, or
three, every word mav be established. And if he
refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church."

The Church insists upon obedience to this rule. —
Book of Discipline, Chap. HI, Sec. i, If 5. The ses-
sion should always inquire whether or not it has been
observed; and, if it has not, they should refuse to
listen to the accuser until he has complied with this
requirement.

The United Presbyterian Book says : "In cases of
personal offenses, the injured party, whether the of-
fense be public or private, must use the means pre-
scribed by our Lord for bringing the offender to a
sense of his error and effecting a reconciliation, before
he can be admitted as a prosecutor. Failure to com-
ply with our Lord's direction, by any one lodging an
information against another, is itself an offense sub-
jecting the informer to censure." — United Presbyter^
ian Book of Govt, and Discipline, Book II, Chap, 2,
Sees. 3, 4.

202 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

And the Preshyterian Book is still more emphatic.
It says: "Those who bring information of private
and personal injuries before judicatories, without
having taken these previous steps, shall themselves
be censured, as guilty of an offense against the peace
and order of the Church." — Presbyterian Book of
Govt., Book n, Chap. 2, Sees. 3, 4.

H this law is rigidly enforced many cases will
never go any further. The Scripture warrant for it
is so specific that no Christian can reasonably object
to its enforcement.

2. In the case of general offenses.

a. An individual may be accuser and prosecutor.
Because offenses are either general or public, it does

not follow that the charges cannot be preferred by a
private individual. Anyone who is competent to
bring a personal charge is competent to prefer a
charge for a general offense. There are cases where
it may be a most sacred duty to do so.

b. An individual may be the informer, and yet
he may decline to be the prosecutor. Book
of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 2, |fTf 3, 4.

If the offense is personal, the informer must be
the prosecutor ; but, if the offense is general, he may
simply submit his information to the court, and leave
it to the judgment of the session whether they will
take up the case or not.

The United Preshyterian Book contains a very wise
provision for cases of this kind: 'Tn cases taken
up on information, the name of the informer may be
withheld at the discretion of the court; but if the in-
nocence of the party accused is clearly made out,
the court shall inquire whether the informer acted
through malice, or imprudence, or otherwise; and
deal with him accordingly." United Preshyterian
Book of Govt, and Disc., Chap. Ill, Sec. 2.

You will find it a not uncommon thing for a person

INSTITUTING PROCESS 203

to come to the pastor with a complaint against a
brother for a general offense, accompanied with the
request that the informer's name shall not be dis-
closed. Let him understand that you will not bind
yourself not to disclose his identity, that you have
discretionary power as to that, and that, even if the
namic is not disclosed at first, the accuser will be
held to responsibility for the truthfulness of the
charge.

c. The court may prefer a charge on the ground
of common fame.

In order that a prosecution may be begun on the
ground of a fama, the following conditions must be
found to prevail:

(i) The session must be satisfied that a fama
really exists.

(2) The fama must specify a particular of-
fense.

(3) The fama must be widely spread.

(4) The fama must be accompanied with rea-
sonable presumptions of truth.

(5) The fama must not be transient, but per-
manent.

These provisions are all so reasonable as to re-
quire no argument. The Book says : ''Great caution
should be exercised in presenting charges on this
ground. Church officers must be especially careful
not to create the fama which they make the basis
of their prosecution." — Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill,
Sec. II, T[ 7.

d. One knowing himself to be the subject of
an injurious rumor may request a judicial
investigation for his vindication.

Our Book does not especially provide for such a
case, but both the United Presbyterian and the Pres-
byterian Books make such provision.

The United Presbyterian Book says : ''As, how-

204 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

ever, a rumor may exist not amounting to common
fame, affecting the character of an individual, the
person affected thereby may request a judicial in-
vestigation for his own vindication and it may be
proper for the court to grant the request." — United
Presbyterian Book of Govt, and Disc, Part HI, Chap.
HI, Sec. 6.

The Presbyterian Book is even stronger. It says:
'Tt may happen, however, that in consequence of a
report which does not fully amount to general rumor
as just described, a slandered individual may request
a judicial investigation, which it may be the duty of
the judicatory to institute."

It seems reasonable that a member of the Church
should be allowed to invoke the authority of her
courts to protect his good name. This must be recog-
nized as a correct principle; however, the occasions
for its application are comparatively rare. It is es-
pecially rare in the case of a rumor against the pas-
tor. Be too busy for rumor to attack you, and not
busy enough to create rumor.

II

Framing a Libel.

1. It belongs to the court to frame the libel.

No matter by whom the charge is preferred, the
framing of the libel, in sessional cases, belongs to the
session.

2. A formal libel is not in every case necessary.
The Book says: ''When the judicatory commences

a process without any particular accuser, it is upon
the ground of faina clamosa, and the charge may be
presented in more general terms, but in every other
respect the same rules apply as in the case of a spe-
cific libel."

INSTITUTING PROCESS 205

3. In difficult cases the court should proceed by
libel.

In all kinds of judicial procedure, the orderly way
is usually the shortest and best. If a case cannot be
settled without proceeding to trial, it is usually be-
cause the accused intends to contest every point. In
this case it is much easier for the moderator to pro-
ceed under a libel. The points of law and order are
more readily perceived.

4. The accused party may demand a libel.

The party placed on trial is entitled to all the ad-
vantages, in making his defense, which the law pre-
scribes ; and, if he believes that a formal libel will
be better for him, it is his privilege to insist upon it.

Ill

The Form of the Libel.

1. It must be specific as to the offense charged.

2. It must state when and where the offense was
committed.

3. It must set forth wherein the offense violated
Scripture and the standards of the Church.

The language of the libel is : ''Contrary to the
word of God and the profession of the Reformed
Presbyterian Church founded thereon."

a. After the phrase, ''Contrary to the word
of God," reference should be made to the
particular passages of Scripture which con-
demn the sin specified.

b. After the phrase, "And the profession of the
Reformed Presbyterian Church founded
thereon," reference should be made to the
particular statements in the Confession of
Faith, Testimony, Covenant, Catechisms, or

2o6 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

Terms of Communion which condemn the
sin charged.

4. The Hbel must bear the signature of the prose-
cutor, when made by a private person ; and of
the moderator and clerk when the session is
the prosecutor.

5. It must bear the names of all the witnesses.

6. If new witnesses are afterwards discovered, the
names must be furnished to the accused and
additional time given to prepare for trial.

Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 2, ^ 6.

Book of Discipline, pages 134, 135: Form of Libel.

IV

Serving the Libel.

1. The libel is to be placed in the hands of the
accused, or left at his residence. — Book of Dis-
cipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 2, jf][ 6, 12.

2. It is to be accompanied by a citation signed by
the moderator and clerk to appear and answer
to the libel. — Idem supra. After the first cita-
tion only the signature of the clerk is neces-
sary.— If 10.

3. The citation should allow the accused at least
one week to prepare for trial. — ^ 6.

Both the United Presbyterian and the Presbyterian
Books allow ten days to the accused. It is best to
allow him all the time he reasonably can ask, in order
that there may be no excuse for delay when the time
arrives, or ground of complaint when the trial is
over.

4. If the first citation is not obeyed, the session
must order another in the same form.

5. The time allowed after the second citation is
discretionary with the court.

INSTITUTING PROCESS 207

6. The second citation should contain an intima-
tion that the trial will proceed, whether the ac-
cused appears or not.

7. If the person cited declare on the first citation
that he will not obey it, this shall in no case
hinder the issuing of a second citation. There
should be no discussion of the matter. The
second citation should simply be served.

8. If the second citation is not obeyed, session
may either proceed with the trial in the ab-
sence of the accused, or it may suspend him
for contempt of court.

In most cases the latter course is preferable; it is
very much the easier, and it is so manifestly just
that it leaves no ground of objection on the part of
the accused; while a trial conducted in the absence
of the accused is not likely to be satisfactory.

If, however, the session has already some evidence
that the accused is guilty, it may be better to take
the testimony while it is available and include in the
sentence of condemnation, the act of contumacy as
well as the original charge.

9. If the accused present a valid reason for his
neglect to obey the citations, then the citation
shall be repeated de novo. — Id., ^ 12.

10. Citations may be served by any one compe-
tent to attend to it. — Idem Supra, Ij 10.

11. The person serving the citations must certify
that fact to the session. — Idem Supra, 1j 10.

V

The Citation of Witnesses.

I. All citations of witnesses, both of the prose-
cutor and of the accused, are issued and signed
by the clerk of session.

2o8 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

2. Each party cites his own witnesses.

In case the session is the prosecutor, the clerk
usually attends to serving the citations. But, when
the prosecutor is a private person, it is his business
to cite his own witnesses. It is always the business
of the accused to cite the witnesses for the defense.
The clerk of session must furnish the citations for
both parties. — Idem supra, If lo.

3. Any one may serve the citations of witnesses
who will furnish a certificate to the court that
he has so done.

4. Members of the Church can be required to at-
tend when cited as witnesses, under pain of
Church censures for contempt of court, if they
refuse.

5. Those not members of the Church can only
be requested. — Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill,
Sec. 2, T[ 19.

It is not always easy to secure the attendance of
witnesses. People dislike to appear in court, and
many who have been talking freely become dumb sud-
denly when proceedings are begun. An effective way
to check a garrulous gossiper is to produce your note-
book and begin to take down his name and address,
and his statements, and intimate that he may be called
on to recite his story in court. The refusal to tes-
tify when properly called upon by a church court
is not only contempt of the court, but is a violation
of the ninth commandment which requires: 'The
maintaining and promoting of truth between man and
man, and of our own and our neighbor's good name,
especially in witness bearing." — Testimony, Chap,
xxvii, Sec. 3.

6. In case important witnesses cannot attend, their
testimony may be taken by delegates sent from
the court.

The accused should be notified in order that he

INSTITUTING PROCESS 209

may be present to cross-question the witness. No
step should at any time be taken which does not con-
serve the right of the accused to meet his accusers
face to face. A man's character and good name are
so sacred that a church court is under obHgation to
afiford him every opportunity to defend them.

7. The session may request some other judicatory,
or competent authority, to secure testimony not
otherwise obtainable.

When testimony is taken in this way, the judicatory
should use its discretion in determining how much
weight is to be attached thereto. — Book of Discipline,
Chap. Ill, Sec. 2, H 18.

LECTURE XXII
CONDUCTING A TRIAL

The Opening of the Case.

1. Ascertain whether the libel has been prop-
erly served and the witnesses cited.

When the court assembles at the time and place
appointed for trial and has been regularly consti-
tuted, before beginning the trial, it is necessary to
know that the preliminaries have been regularly at-
tended to, and that the parties are present in answer
to your citation. Then the moderator announces that
the session will proceed with the case.

2. The moderator reads the libel, explains the
nature of the charge, sets forth the ends of dis-
cipline and the present duty of the accused. —
Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 2, ^ 15.

This part of the action should be performed with
gravity and solemnity. The accused should be made
to feel the seriousness of his position when sum-
moned before a court clothed with Christ's authority,
to answer for conduct inconsistent with his Christian
profession. Care should be taken to remove from
his mind all mistaken views as to the ends of Church
discipline, and to show him how it is related to the
honor of Jesus Christ, to the purification of the
Church, and to the salvation of the accused; and he
should be appealed to as Joshua appealed to Achan:
"My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God

210

CONDUCTING A TRIAL 211

and make confession unto him." At the same time
let him understand his rights as a member of the
Church to a fair and orderly trial. Never take ad-
vantage of the ignorance of the accused to place him
in an unfavorable position for his defense.
3. Test the admissibility of the charges.

(i) The accused has a right to be heard on
this point.
When the charges are first laid before the session,
before the libel has been framed, the session con-
siders the question of their admissibility. But the
formulation of the libel and the citation of the wit-
nesses may develop new questions affecting its ad-
missibility; and, more especially because this is a
point on which the accused has the right to be heard,
it cannot be regarded as finally settled until this point
is reached.

(2) The matters which affect the admissibility
of the libel are:

a. The character of the accuser.

If it can be shown that the accuser is himself of
untrustworthy character, or is under charges or cen-
sure of the Church, he cannot prosecute the case.

b. The admissibility of the testimony.
There are questions affecting the competency of

witnesses, which will be considered later; but objec-
tion may be raised on the ground of the incompe-
tency of the witnesses.

c. The indefiniteness of the charges.

The law requires that the charges be specific, and
the libel may be thrown out on account of the gen-
erality of the charges.

d. The date of the commission of the crime.
The libel must state the date at which the crime

was committed, and, if more than one year has elapsed
since the facts on which the charge is founded be-
came known to the accuser, the libel must be dis-

212 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

missed as inadmissible. — Book of Discipline, Chap.
HI, Sec. I, II 7.

e. Want of a sufficient number of witnesses.
The law says : ''Testimony must ever bear a pro-
portion in weight and clearness to the improbability,
the magnitude, and the consequences of the scandal;
and no person shall be convicted upon the testimony
of a single witness however pointed and clear it may
appear to be." — Book of Discipline, Chap. HI, Sec.
2, Iflf 16-19. United Presbyterian Book, Part HI,

Chap, vn, If 5.

Any one of these five grounds is sufficient to de-
stroy the admissibility of the charges. If the libel
be declared inadmissible, all further proceedings cease.

4. Test the relevancy of the libel.

(i) The question to be determined under this
is whether the charges if proved are cen-
surable.

The libel affirms that a certain thing is a heinous
sin and scandal, "contrary to the Scriptures and the
profession of the Reformed Presbyterian Church
founded thereon" ; and then it proceeds to charge
that the accused is guilty of this sin because of cer-
tain specific acts, committed at a certain time. The
question raised as to relevancy is, whether, if these
specified acts be proved by competent witnesses, they
will sustain the general charge contained in the libel ;
and whether, the general proposition being true and
the specifications being proved, the ofifense is neces-
sarily censurable.

For instance, the libel might read as follows:

"Whereas, living in an incestuous relation is a
grievous sin and scandal, contrary to the word of God
and the profession of the Reformed Presbyterian
Church founded thereon ; yet, true it is that you, John
Doe, are guilty of the scandal above stated, in so
far as you, the said John Doe, were, on the first day

CONDUCTING A TRIAL 213

of November, 1907, united in marriage to Jane Roe,
your deceased wife's sister, which being found rele-
vant and proven against you, you ought to be pro-
ceeded against by the censures of the Lord's house."
Is this Hbel relevant? This involves two inquiries.
First: Is living in an incestuous relation a heinous
sin and scandal? This is necessary because some of-
fenses are not scandals. It being decided that incest
is a censurable offense, the second question is: "Is
marrying a deceased wife's sister incestuous?" If it
were proved that the accused had married his de-
ceased wife's sister, would he thereby be convicted
of living in an incestuous relation? In other words,
the general proposition that incest is a heinous sin
and scandal being admitted; and the specification
under it that John Doe had married his deceased
wife's sister being proved: is John Doe subject to
censure?

(2) On the question of relevancy, the accused
has the right to be fully heard.

(3) In opposing the relevancy of the libel, the
accused is not permitted to make a plea
against the principles of his public pro-
fession.— Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec.

This third provision is very important. Suppose
that in the above case where the specific charge is
marrying a deceased wife's sister, the accused denies
the relevancy of the libel, claiming that the principle
laid down in the Confession of Faith and in the
Testimony, viz, "That a man may not marry any of
his wife's kindred nearer in blood than he may of his
own," is not Scriptural; and suppose that the accused
proposes to appeal from the lower standards to the
supreme standard, the word of God: he cannot be
permitted to do so, because, in his public profession,
he has declared his belief that these subordinate

214 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

standards are agreeable unto and founded on the
Word of God. When he is hbeled for violation of
his public profession, he cannot deny the relevancy
of the libel on the ground that the profession is un-
scriptural.

This principle received a striking elucidation in con-
nection with our Church troubles in 1891. See re-
view of a speech of Dr. J. K. McClurkin by Prof.
James Dick, R. P. and C, April and May, 1891.

In cases of trials for heresy or for following di-
visive courses, the relevancy of the libel cannot be
challenged by an appeal from the subordinate Stand-
ards of the Church to the Scriptures as the supreme
standard.

The question of the relevancy of the libel should
always be carefully weighed and the Book says : 'Tf,
on careful consideration, the charges be found not
relevant, all further proceedings must terminate."

5. Interrogate the accused as to the matters of fact.

This refers to the specifications in the libel. The
moderator calls upon the accused to stand up, and
then questions him as to whether he did the things
which are charged in the libel.

(i) If the facts are admitted, the way is open

for a decision.
(2) If the charges are denied, the judicatory
shall proceed to trial.

II

Taking the Testimony.

I. The judicatory or either of the parties may re-
quire the witnesses to be sworn.

It is not always necessary, but there should be no
hesitancy either on the part of the court or of the
witnesses to employ the oath if it is desired. "An

CONDUCTING A TRIAL 215

oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife."
(i) The moderator administers the oath.

(2) The witness stands and raises his right
hand.

This is the Scriptural attitude for taking an oath.
Kissing the Bible is expressly condemned in our Tes-
timony. It says : ''On no account should he con-
form to the superstitious practice of kissing the
Book." — Testimony, Chap. XXVII, Sec. 3.

(3) All persons present should stand during the
administration of the oath.

The solemnity of the act needs to be deeply im-
pressed in its administration.

2. The accused may impeach the character of the
witnesses.

(i) The court must hear the objections and put

them on record.
(2) The judicatory must receive legitimate proof
of their truthfulness.
If the case should be carried up by complaint or
appeal to a higher court, these will form proper mat-
ters for review.

3. The competency of a witness may be challenged
on the following grounds :

(i) Want of proper age.
No certain age can be fixed by law, and the age at
which one would be competent to testify would be
affected by the nature of the fact to be proved.

(2) Want of the senses necessary to a knowl-
edge of the crime charged.

A blind person could not testify to that which is
known only by sight; or a deaf person to that which
is perceived only by hearing.

(3) Weakness of intellect.

(4) Infamy of character.

(5) Malice toward the accused.

In regard to this latter, it is expressly provided

2i6 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

that, if required, witnesses, before giving their testi-
mony, are to be, on their oath, purged of all malice
against the accused.

H the accused do not challenge the witnesses, it
is usually better for the court to admit all, and then
judge of the value of their testimony. — Book of Dis-
cipline, Chap. HI, Sec. 2, ^^ 19-20.

4. The examination of witnesses.

(i) The witness must state all he knows but
cannot be compelled to incriminate himself.
(See Part HI, Sec. 2, J]} 2, 3.)

The method, so common in civil courts, of swear-
ing the witness to tell the whole truth and then re-
fusing to allow him to state fully what he knows of
the case, must have no place in the courts of the
Lord's house.

(2) The examination is all conducted through
the moderator.

(3) Either party may object to points in the
testimony, and the objection must be placed
on the record.

The law says: "Either party may object to the
course pursued in examining witnesses, or to a par-
ticular question. If the objection is not sustained
by the moderator, an appeal may be taken to the
court ; if not sustained by the court, this fact, with
the objection, shall be entered upon the record." —
Book of Discipline, Chap. HI, Sec. 2, ^ 24.

(4) The entire testimony must be written down
as given; then read, corrected, and signed
by the witness.

It may not be essential always to write down the
questions, but the answers are to be recorded ver-
batim, and the questions if clearness demands them.

(5) A witness may at any time amend his tes-
timony by a postscript, signed as before.

(6) Hearsay testimony is never admissible,

CONDUCTING A TRIAL 217

(7) The testimony of a deceased person who
would have been a credible witness may be
received if proved, but does not have the
full weight of direct evidence. — ^ 28.

(8) A member of the court may be a witness
and yet sit on the case. — ^ 29.

(9) No private knowledge possessed by mem-
bers of the judicatory may be allowed to
influence their decision.

No such private knowledge should exist. The
judgment must rest entirely upon the evidence before
the court, and it is the duty of every member of the
judicatory to make known to the court, as a witness,
everything that he may know that is relevant to the
case, or that may tend to a righteous decision. — |f 29.

(10) Documentary evidence, whether written or
printed, must be duly authenticated before
it is used.

Ordinarily it should be certified by the affidavit
of the proper person, witnessed by an official as sealed
instruments are attested.

(11) Extracts from the minutes of sister ju-
dicatories are authenticated by the signa-
ture of the clerk. — U 25.

(12) A husband or wife shall not be compelled
to testify where the other is on trial. — Tf 20.

(13) Witnesses should be examined in the pres-
ence of the accused.

(14) They are to be examined by the party
introducing them, and cross-examined by
the other party.

(15) Rebutting testimony may be offered by
either party.

By rebutting testimony is meant testimony intended
to set aside, or modify, the testimony given by wit-
nesses on the opposite side.

I have advised you to use every possible means

2i8 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

to avoid the necessity for judicial process. My ad-
vice now is, that, when you are forced to enter upon
the investigation of a case, you sift it to the bottom;
and let it be distinctly understood that there will be
no favoritism, or partiality, or whitewashing, but
that you will use every means in your power to get
at the facts of the case by legal evidence. The courts
of Christ's house are brought into deserved contempt
when judicial procedure is not conducted in an or-
derly and effective way to a definite result either of
honorable acquittal or of just condemnation.

LECTURE XXIII

ISSUING A CASE

In the last lecture we followed the steps in a ju-
dicial trial to the point where the witnesses have been
examined and the evidence is all in. Taking up the
subject where we left off, let us consider:

Hearing the Parties,

1. The parties speak alternately, each speaking
twice.

2. The prosecutor opens, and the accused closes.

3. In the first speeches both parties confine them-
selves to the record.

4. In the second speeches each one must confine
himself to a rejoinder to the remarks of the
other.

These reasonable regulations should be strictly ad-
hered to. The most difficult things are:

a. To prevent the parties from traveling beyond
the record in their first addresses.

b. To prevent them from introducing new mat-
ter in their second speeches.

This is especially true if there are facts in their
possession which they have not been able to prove by
legal evidence, or if any part of the testimony has
been ruled out. The attempt to drag it in is almost
sure to be made in the hearing. The moderator

219

220 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

should be very careful to see that the parties under-
stand clearly the limitations under which they are to
speak before they begin, or there will be complaints
of unfairness when they are unexpectedly called to
order and refused permission to follow their intended
line of remark.

5. The parties may be questioned by the members
of the court.

The object of the questioning of the parties is
to elicit a clearer understanding of the points of their
argument. But the moderator must restrain the mem-
bers of the court from injecting an argument into
their questions. — Book of Discipline, Chap. HI, Sec.
2, If 27.

II

The Removal of the Parties.

1. This is done by motion.

When the parties have been fully heard in com-
ment on the testimony, and the members of the ju-
dicatory have asked all the questions they desire to
have answered, a motion is made ''that the parties
be now removed."

2. The passing of this motion takes the parties
from the floor of the court.

The terms have a technical signification, i. e., that
the parties are now deprived of any further part in
the proceedings. They cannot claim the floor for any
purpose, unless recalled by motion of the court.

3. The parties may even be required to retire from
the room.

The accused always has the right to be present
during the taking of testimony and to meet his ac-
cusers face to face; but in canvassing the testimony,
the members of the court are acting both as jurors

ISSUING A CASE 221

and as judges and they are entitled to deliberate in
seclusion if they deem it more conducive to a just
decision.

Questions may arise in settling the value to be at-
tached to the testimony of certain witnesses, or where
there has been conflicting testimony, in which cir-
cumstances the session should be alone. No injustice,
therefore, is done to the parties, when they are asked
to retire from the session room after they have been
fully heard.

The law on this subject is not explicitly laid down
in our book, and, as no digest exists of our judicial
procedure, I cannot refer you to specific cases. But
the Presbyterian Book is explicit. It says : "The
judicatory shall then go into private session, the par-
ties, their counsel, and all other persons not memlDcrs
of the body, being excluded ; when, after careful de-
liberation, the judicatory shall proceed to vote on
each specification and on each charge separately; and
judgment shall be entered accordingly." — Moore's Di-
gest, p. 626. A number of instances are cited to show
that the rule for the "removal of the parties" is con-
strued literally, not metaphorically. — General Rules
for Judicatories, Presbyterian Form of Government,
Nos. 38, 39.

Ill

Weighing the Evidence.

I. Points of order are to be decided by the mod-
erator; points of law by the court. — Book of
Discipline, Part III, Chap. 3, Sec. 2.
It may occur, that, in applying the law to the evi-
dence in order to reach a decision, questions will
arise as to the interpretation of the law. The court
itself must determine this. A mere point of order

222 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

the moderator is competent to decide, but here, as
elsewhere, his decisions are subject to an appeal to
the court. — Book of Discipline, Rules of Synod, No.
ip, p. 125.

2. The judgment must be based on the testimony
before the court.

The rule says: "No private knowledge possessed
by members of the judicatory shall be suffered to
influence the decision, as that must be based entirely
upon the evidence before the court." — Book of Dis-
cipline, Chap. HI, ^ 29.

This rule is right, but it is difficult of application.
It is not always an easy thing to divest one's self
of preconceived opinions as to the guilt or innocence
of the accused. It may compel a court, for the want
of legal evidence, to acquit one whom they are mor-
ally certain is guilty.

3. Where there is moral certainty of guilt, but not
legal evidence to convict, the decision should
be: ''Not proven."

When you cannot conscientiously say, "Not
guilty," you may say, conscientiously, "Not proven."

4. The court, in weighing the testimony, takes ac-
count of the credibility of the witnesses.

(i) The uncontradicted testimony of unreliable
witnesses does not necessarily convict the ac-
cused.
The accused is held innocent until proved guilty;
and credibility cannot be injected into the testimony
of incredible witnesses by increasing their number.
Twice naught is nothing, and ten times naught is no
more.

(2) Can the accused testify in his own case;

and, if so, what weight is to be given to his

testimony ?

I do not find anything in our book which expressly

determines whether or not an accused party may tes-

ISSUING A CASE 223

tify. But Synod has taken action bearing on the
question. In the Minutes of Synod of 1867, Report
of the Committee of Discipline, we find the follow-
ing:

"No. 16 is a memorial from some members of the
Church under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Pres-
bytery.

"They ask Synod to appoint a commission to re-try
a given case passed upon by the presbytery. The
chief ground on which they rest their petition is the
alleged fact that the accused was admitted to testify
in his own case, and that his testimony formed equally
with that of other witnesses the basis on which the
verdict was rendered. The presbytery, we under-
stand, conceded the allegation to be correct. It is
the judgment of the committee that on this point the
presbytery essentially erred. It is not allowed in our
form of process ; and, in a criminal case like the pres-
ent, we are not aware that it is admitted in either
civil or ecclesiastical law.

"The committee recommend that a commission be
appointed to whom the case shall be referred for ad-
judication."

Signed 5'. 0. Wylie, J. L. M'Cartney, A. Wright.

The report was adopted and the commission ap-
pointed. R. P. and C, 1867, p. 227.

The Minutes of Synod of 1868, and R. P. and C,
p. 205, contain the report of this commission. It
contains the following language:

"Two days were occupied in the investigation of
the case, and the finding was substantially that, in
so far as the charge of rape was concerned, the ac-
cused was not guilty; and, in so far as the charge of
adultery was concerned, the evidence was not sufficient
to justify a legal conviction.

"The want of sufficiency lay in the fact that, whereas
there were but two witnesses in the case, the commis-

22.\ PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

sion were not satisfied as to the credibility of one of
them. The testimony of the other witness was direct
as to acknowledgment of guilt upon the part of the
accused, and the commission saw no ground to ques-
tion the veracity of the sworn statement."

The commission, therefore, recommended Synod to
hear the testimony and pass upon the case, which
Synod did. — R. P. and C, 1868, pp. 209, 210, 217.

In the year 1869, the report of Lakes Presbytery
says: "Some of our number insist that our Discipline
is inconsistent with the Bible rule, in neither allowing
or requiring parties to give testimony in their own
case. Synod's deliverance is asked on this matter." —
R. P. and C, 1869, p 230.

The matter was referred to the Committee on Disci-
pline, which reported as follows : 'Tn reference to
the request of the Presbytery of the Lakes for advice
concerning the admissibility of testimony from parties
in their own case, we recommend that this Synod
declare that it lies in the discretion of inferior
courts to admit such testimony, giving it the weight
to which in their judgment it may seem entitled. See
Book of Discipline, page 76. The judicatory must
avail itself of every kind of information accessible to
it, the members using their own discretion in impar-
tially and minutely weighing the nature of the testi-
mony before them."

This recommendation was not adopted but was laid
on the table till next Synod. — R. P. and C, 1869, p.
210.

In 1870, it was again laid over; but in 1871 it was
adopted. — R. P. and C, 1871, page 200.

It would seem therefore that our Synod regards it
as competent for parties to testify in their own behalf,
the court to decide as to the value of such testimony.
This, however, may be modified by the rule contained
in the Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 4, ^ 7. "In

ISSUING A CASE ^25

extreme cases where proof is wanting, an oath of
purgation may be admitted, but not urged." The
form of the purgation oath constitutes it the sworn
testimony of the accused in his own behalf. It is as
follows : "I, A. B., now under process before the

, for the sin and scandal of charged against

me, for ending of said process and giving satisfaction
to the Church of Christ, do most solemnly declare,
before God and the court, that I am innocent and free
of said sin; and hereby call the living God, the judge
and avenger of all falsehood, to be the judge and wit-
ness against me in this matter if I be guilty ; as I shall
answer to God in that day in which He shall judge the
world, by Jesus Christ, and as I hope to be partaker
of His glory in heaven." — Book of Discipline, pp. 136,
137. You will observe that this purgation oath is
only to be admitted ''where proof is wanting," and
then only at the discretion of the session.

5. Circumstantial evidence may have great weight,
but cannot be regarded as conclusive.

It is a fact that, in some cases, circumstantial evi-
dence seems stronger than direct testimony, but it is
not sufficient to stand alone. According to the law,
even the direct testimony of a single witness, how-
ever clear and pointed it may appear to be, is not suffi-
cient to convict.

The United Presbyterian Book contains also the fol-
lowing provision : 'Tf the testimony taken during a
trial proves a sin properly denominated by another
name than that designated in the libel, while the spe-
cific charge of the libel must be found 'not proved,'
the accused may be found guilty of that which appears
in proof ; but sentence shall not be passed until further
time shall be given him for defense, if he demands it
and justice requires it." — United Presbyterian Book,
Part III, Chap. IV, \ 14.

The principle here laid down is no doubt correct;

226 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

but the orderly method would seem to be that, when
the libel is found to be thus defective, the court should
arrest proceedings and amend the libel; and, if neces-
sary, give additional time to the accused; and then
issue the case.

IV

The Judgment or Decision.

1. The accused may be acquitted, or found guilty
in whole or in part.

The libel may contain several counts ; in this case
the decision should be made on each count separately.

2. The judgment should be fully entered on the
records.

3. The records should embrace the reasons for all
decisions, except on questions of order.

The importance of a full and complete record is
seen in the fact that, when the higher court comes to
review the case, it is guided entirely by the record. —
Book of Discipline, Chap. HI, Sec. 2, ff 30.

V

Fixing the Degree of Censure.

If the accused is found guilty, the next prerogative
of the court is to determine the degree of the penalty.
The Book says: "It must be committed to the dis-
cretion of ecclesiastical judicatories to apportion cen-
sures to scandals. Were a specific censure appointed
to each offense, it might tend to prevent the end of
discipline by showing to every one who is tempted to
sin the price at which he may procure indulgence.

"Cases may also frequently occur, especially when

ISSUING A CASE 227

the process is conducted in the name of individual
accusers, in which the offense, although real, may
have arisen more from infirmity than criminal de-
sign, and in which correction is better obtained by
conciliation than reproof.

"The process which is intended to remove scandal,
frequently, from the misguided zeal or passion of the
parties concerned, generates new scandal demanding
Church censure; and in no case is more prudence and
delicacy required on the part of Church officers, to
maintain order, to discriminate, and to administer
promptly due censure with an amiable severity." —
Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. 4, ljj[ 5, 6.

1. Five kinds of censure are prescribed,
(i) Admonition.

(2) Rebuke.

(3) Suspension.

(4) Deposition.

(5) Excommunication.

2. Deposition applies only to officers ; all the others
apply equally to officers and members.

3. There are degrees of severity in the administra-
tion of the different kinds of censure.

(i) Admonition and rebuke may be adminis-
tered,

a. Once or more frequently ;

b. In private or publicly;

c. With severity in proportion to the scandal.

(2) Admonition and rebuke differ in their na-
tures :

a. Admonition consists in tender reproof,
warning, exhortation ;

b. Rebuke consists in setting forth the char-
acter of the offense with a sharp reproof
for it.

(3) Suspension may be for a definite time, or
until there is evidence of reformation.

228 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

4. The nature and effect of these different kinds
of censure, and the form of their administration
are set forth in the Book of Discipline^ Chap.
HI, Sec. 4; Chap. IV, Sees, i, 2, 3.

LECTURE XXIV
REMOVAL OF A CASE TO A HIGHER COURT.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of Pres-
byterian government is the subordination of the lower
courts to the higher. Every decision of any Church
court, except the highest, is subject to the review of a
superior court; and the humblest member in the body
may have his case finally adjudicated in the highest
court of the Church.

Proposition: There are five zmys by which a case
may come under the judgment of the higher courts.

I
By Reviezu and Control.

I. It is the duty of all inferior courts to present
their records to the next superior judicatory, for
review, at least once a year.

This is a universal law. If any lower court neglects
or refuses to send up its records, the higher court
may issue an order requiring it to do so and fixing
a time.

Sessions are apt to be careless about forwarding
their minute books to presbytery. This is a disregard
of an essential principle of Presbyterianism. I charge
you, therefore, as pastors to be punctual in submitting
the records of your sessions to presbytery. In this
way all the judicial proceedings of session come under
the review of the presbytery; and those of the pres-
bytery come under the review of the Synod.

229

230 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

2. Matters of review.

In reviewing the records of an inferior court, it is
proper to examine :
(i) Whether the proceedings have been consti-
tutional and regular.

(2) Whether the record is full and accurate.

(3) Whether the minutes are properly authenti-
cated by the signature of the moderator and
clerk — a matter of frequent correction.

3. The superior court as a court of review and
control may:

(i) Express disapprobation of the proceedings
of the lower court and enter the same on
its own minutes and on the book reviewed.

(2) It may require the lower court to review
and correct its own proceedings.

(3) It cannot by the power of review and con-
trol reverse a judicial decision of a lower
court.

(4) If the records of a lower court show un-
faithfulness in the exercise of discipline in
the case of scandalous sins, the superior
court may cite the inferior court to answer
for such lack of fidelity. — Book of Disci-
pline, Chap. Ill, Sec. Ill, 1f|[ i, 2, 3; United
Presbyterian Book, Chap. XII, Art. i.

II

By Reference.

A reference is a judicial representation in writing,
made by an inferior court to the next superior, of a
matter not yet decided.

I. Proper cases for reference.

(i) Cases which the inferior court feels itself
incompetent to decide.

APPEAL TO HIGHER COURT 231

a. Because of the fewness of its members as
compared with the gravity of the case; or,

b. Because of the relation of members of the
session to the parties ; or,

c. Because of the indefiniteness of the law in
its application to the case.

(2) Cases which are new and with no precedents
to guide in ordering.

(3) Cases that are peculiarly delicate and diffi-
cult. ■

(4) Cases, the settlement of which may estab-
lish a precedent of extensive influence.

The influence of a decision may extend far beyond
the bounds of a congregation and affect other congre-
gations of the presbytery, or over the whole Church.
Such was a recent reference to Pittsburgh Presbytery
to determine whether membership in a certain organi-
zation is in violation of the Church's testimony as to
fellowship with secret societies.

(5) Cases on which the members of the lower
court are divided.

In such a case the decision of the lower court would
fail of its moral effect, and might do more harm than
good. It might involve some principle which the mi-
nority would feel constrained to carry to the higher
court by complaint or appeal. The lower court might
unanimously agree to refer it to the higher court rather
than to issue the case and have it appealed.
2. The objects sought by reference.

(i) It may be simply advice.
When this is the object, the case still remains in
the lower court, but the progress of the trial is ar-
rested until advice is obtained from the superior court
as to how to proceed.

(2) At any stage of the trial the entire case
may be referred to the superior court for
final decision.

232 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

a. By such reference the lower court relin-
quishes all control of the case.

b. In any case of reference the members of
the lower court retain all their privileges
in the superior court.

(3) Written notice of reference should be given
to the parties interested.
3. The duty of the superior court in a case of
reference:
(i) Usually it should give advice when re-
quested.

(2) It is not bound to give a final judgment in
a referred case.

(3) It may remit the whole case, with or with-
out advice, to the court from which it was
referred.

Our Book does not encourage frequent use of the
privilege of reference. It says: ''Such references
should be made sparingly and only when absolutely
necessary or highly expedient. Ordinarily inferior
courts should complete whatever comes before them."
— Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. Ill, jfTf i, 2, 3, 4;
United Presbyterian Book, Chap. XII, Art. II, fl 1-6.

Ill

By Protest and Appeal.

1. An appeal is the removal of a case, already de-
cided, from an inferior to the next superior
court.

2. Either of the parties may protest and appeal.
The Book says expressly that none hut parties can

appeal. The United Presbyterian law, however, pro-
vides that : 'Tn all cases where the purity of the
Church and the interests of truth and righteousness

APPEAL TO HIGHER COURT 233

are injuriously affected by a decision, any member of
the court may appeal." — United Presbyterian Book,
Chap. XII, Art. Ill, Sec. 3.

3. The protest may be against the whole or any
part of the proceedings or of the sentence.

4. The fact of the appeal and the reasons for it
must be made known as soon as the party is
notified of the decision.

A case may be decided in the absence of the ac-
cused. In such a case he is not to be deprived of his
right to appeal, provided he gives notice as soon as he
is informed.

5. The appeal must be delivered in writing to the
clerk of the court within two weeks after notice
of appeal.

6. Parties are entitled to such extracts from the
minutes as are necessary to make out their
papers ; these extracts to be made by the clerk. —
Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. Ill, U 3,
Nos. 1-3.

IV

By Complaint.

1. A complaint is a statement made to a superior
court by a member, or members, of an inferior
court ; or by any other person, or persons, re-
garding a decision by which they are aggrieved.

2. The same rules as to time and reasons apply
as in the case of appeals.

3. It may result in censure upon the inferior court,
or in a reversal of the decision complained of.

4. In most cases the members of the inferior court
are entitled to act in the final decision in the
superior court.

234 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

5. If the complaint charges the lower court with
injustice and wrong, its members cannot vote
on the question of sustaining the complaint.

The rule reads as follows : "Here, and in cases of
appeals, the members of the inferior judicatory are
entitled to act in the final decision of the case. This
shall not apply to complaints charging the lower court
with injustice and wrong."

On this point our law differs from both the Pres-
byterian and the United Presbyterian laws.

The Presbyterian Book says: "Members of judi-
catories appealed from cannot be allowed to vote in
the superior judicatory on any question connected with
the appeal." This law is repeated in the same terms,
as applying to complaints. — Book of Govt., Chap. VH,
Sec. HI, 1[ 12, and Sec. IV, If 7.

The United Presbyterian Book says : "Where a
matter is transferred in any of these ways," (i. e., re-
view, reference, appeal, complaint and declinature)
"from an inferior to a superior court, except in the
case of reference, the members of the inferior court
shall have the right to sit and deliberate, but not to
vote." — United Presbyterian Book of Disc, and Govt.,
Chap. XII, ^ 3.

Previous to 1863, our own Book of Discipline also
excluded the lower court. By our present Book, the
only member of the higher judicatory who is excluded
from voting on an appeal is a member who may be
appointed by the court or requested by the appellant
to act for him, and who does so act.

The amended rule is cle^ly right. The underlying
principle is that the lower court, in conducting a case,
even where the court is the prosecutor, is not to be
considered a party, merely, but is also judge and jury;
and for many reasons they may be more capable of
forming a correct judgment in the case than the other
members of the supreme judicatory. To rule them

APPEAL TO HIGHER COURT 235

out of a participation in the final decision might thwart
the very ends of justice.

But there is an exception to the law permitting them
to deliberate and vote on the case when transferred
to the superior court. It says : "This shall not apply
to complaints charging the lower court with injustice
and wrong."

This, again, is manifestly right, because, if the lower
court has been guilty of injustice and wrong, they are
thereby disqualified for sitting on any case, and this
is a question which should be submitted to the decision
of their brethren.

But here, again, the general complaint of ''in justice
and wrong" is not sufficient to disqualify them; but
the complaint must set forth wherein the injustice and
wrong consisted ; and, if it is such as, if proved, would
call for censure on the lower court, then the members
should be excluded from voting, because they have
now become a party on trial, and are brought to the
bar of the superior court. But if the complaint did
not specify anything involving censure if sustained,
but simply an error in judgment, they have as good a
right to sit on the case as any other members of the
superior court.

For a very clear and able discussion of this subject,
I refer you to an editorial by Rev. J. C. K. Milligan in
Our Banner, 1883, p. 271. An appeal had been brought
before Synod from action of the New York Presby-
tery. The moderator ruled that New York Presby-
tery could not deliberate or vote on the case. Appeal
was taken from the moderator's decision, but Synod
denied the appeal and sustained the moderator's de-
cision. Afterwards this article appeared, and the
moderator, after reading it, was convinced that his
decision had been in error.

236 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

By Declinature or Interlocutory Appeal.

1. Any one concerned in a trial may decline the
authority of the court and appeal to the next
higher court.

2. The grounds upon which such declinature may
be made are :

a. That the court has no cognizance of the case.

b. That the court is acting illegally.

c. That the court is evidently partial.

If a session proposed to put the pastor on trial be-
fore itself, he could decline, on the ground that the
session has no cognizance in the case ; if it attempted
to proceed to trial without deciding on the relevancy
of the libel, the accused could decline its authority
because the session was proceeding illegally; or, if
the session were evidently partial, having prejudged
the case or being too closely related to one of the par-
ties, either party could decline its authority.

3. The declinature does not necessarily arrest the
process.

The inferior court may, if it sees fit, proceed to
issue the case subject to the annulling of its proceed-
ings if the declinature is sustained.

4. If the declinature is not sustained, the party de-
clining must abide by the decision of the lower
court without appeal.

It is usually much the safer and better course to
allow the lower court to proceed; and, instead of
making the objections the ground of declinature, to
make them the ground of appeal or complaint. — Book
of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. Ill, ^][ 1-3.

APPEAL TO HIGHER COURT 237

VI

Miscellaneous Remarks.

1. Besides these ways of judicial procedure, every
member of the church has access to the superior
judicatories by petition for redress of griev-
ances.

2. All petitions, complaints, appeals, and remon-
strances addressed to a superior court must be
laid before inferior courts for transference.

3. The moderator and clerk must certify on the
document that it has been regularly transferred.

4. If an inferior court refuse to transfer a peti-
tion or other lawful paper, the party has a right
to protest against the refusal, and, by virtue of
his protest, it proceeds to the higher court. —
Book of Discipline, Chap. Ill, Sec. II, IJlf 5-10.

5. It is the duty of the moderator to inform par-
ties of the steps necessary to carry up a case.

Of course, a pastor would much prefer not to have
cases carried from his session to presbytery. When
he feels that the session has acted righteously and
judiciously he may seek to dissuade parties from com-
plaint or appeal. At the same time he should recog-
nize their rights, and, in case they desire to exercise
these rights, he should, if requested, inform them of
the orderly course of procedure.

6. The party carrying up a case must abide by the
decision of the lower court until it is reviewed
by the higher court.

The failure to do this renders the party liable to
have his case dismissed by the superior court for con-
tempt. However certain he may be that the lower
court has erred, he cannot take on himself to set aside
its decision. The synod of 1891 acted on this princi-
ple.— R. P. and C, 1891.

238 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

7. No professional counsel is permitted to conduct
a case before an ecclesiastical court.

All the Presbyterian books agree on this, and their
courts have enforced the rule. In some cases a mem-
ber of the court may be appointed to represent a party
who is not capable of conducting his own case. The
member thus employed cannot sit or vote on the case.

It would be interesting to follow a case into the
superior courts, but the limits of time will not permit
us to pursue the subject further. There are usually
experienced members in these courts who will take the
lead in conducting judicial cases. Precedent is a
strong law, and precedent may be studied in the
Church records. Make your cases strong in the ses-
sion and in the presbytery and they will not be carried
higher.

Let me close, young gentlemen, by reminding you
of the exalted purposes for which Christ, the Church's
Head, has appointed her discipline ; that its exercise is
not to be feebly set aside, but is to be maintained with
a dignity and sobriety becoming to the courts of the
Lord's house,

'The elders which are among you I exhort who
am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be
revealed : Feed the flock of God which is among you,
taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but
willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being
ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd
shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that
fadeth not away." — I Peter v, 1-4.

LECTURE XXV

THE PASTOR IN THE HIGHER COURTS OF
THE CHURCH

The minister, by virtue of his office, is a constituent
member of Presbytery and Synod. It will be the pur-
pose of this lecture to discuss his duties in his relation
to these superior courts.

The Minister Should Regularly Attend All the Church
Courts of Which He is a Member.

1. He is bound to this by his ordination vows.
One of the queries put to candidates for ordination

is : "Do you promise in the strength of divine grace
. . . to attend punctually the meetings of the session
and of the superior judicatories when called there-
unto, judging faithfully in the house of God?" This
promise is to be as faithfully kept as any other of
these solemn engagements. Murphy says : ''The rule
of regular attendance should be laid down as inviola-
ble. . . . Duty to God, duty to the Church, and duty
to himself, all require the pastor to do his part."

2. Because he has a relation to the whole flock.
The minister's relation to a particular congregation

depends upon his installation as its pastor; but, by
virtue of his ordination to the office of the ministry,
he has a pastoral relation to the whole Church.

Some question the right of ministers who are not
239

240 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

pastors, to sit in the higher courts ; and intimations
are not infrequently made that professors in the Col-
lege and in the Theological Seminary, unsettled minis-
ters, and missionaries, home and foreign, are not
properly constituent members of the courts.

The Minutes of Synod, 1849, P- I3i> contains the
record of a motion to erase from the roll of the con-
stituent members of Synod the name of one of our
ministers, for the reason that he had never been in-
stalled by any court of the Lord's house to exercise
rule. This motion was negatived and the name of the
minister was kept on the roll. The facts were that
the minister had been ordained by Pittsburgh Presby-
tery at the request of the Board of Foreign Missions,
to l3e sent out as a missionary to Syria.

The objection to ministers who have been regularly
ordained, but who are without pastoral charge, is
utterly without foundation. The ruling power be-
longs to the ministerial office. By virtue of his rela-
tion to Jesus Christ, who is the chief Shepherd, the
minister is pastor of the flock.

There are good reasons why presbyteries should not,
unnecessarily, ordain men to the ministry, sine titulo,
i. e., without a call to a particular charge ; but, when
the court decides that special circumstances warrant
such ordination, it is unreasonable to deny the or-
dained one his right to exercise the functions of the
office with which he has been clothed. Our Synod has
always adhered to this view of the office.

3. He cannot do his duty as a pastor if he neglects
the superior courts.

The pastor is the connecting link between the con-
gregation and the higher courts. It belongs to the
presbytery and the Synod to map out the public work
of the church. Her educational institutions ; her mis-
sionary enterprises ; her reform measures ; her benevo-
lent schemes: all these public interests are under

HIGHER CHURCH COURTS 241

control of the presbyteries and the Synod. And, be-
sides these, the higher courts exercise supervision over
the congregational life in the matter of Sabbath
schools, young people's societies, the exercise of disci-
pline and the services of worship.

Now it is not only the duty of the pastor as a con-
stituent member of these courts to bear the full meas-
ure of his responsibility, but it is his duty as a pastor
to carry back to his people a full account of the plans
and purposes of the Church; and, more than that, to
translate these plans into the actual life of the people
of his charge. A pastor who neglects attendance upon
the higher courts cannot be a good pastor in this
regard.

The custom of many of the best pastors is to take
the first service after returning from Synod to lay
before the people a full account of the important busi-
ness of Synod, preaching from such texts as Psalm
xlviii, 12-13: "Walk about Zion"; Isaiah xxxiii, 20:
''Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities" ; Isaiah
liv, 2 : ''Lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes.''

4. The pastor needs it for his own personal good.

Pastors who have always lived in the central places
of the Church, where they have frequent meetings with
brethren, do not realize what advantages they derive
from this companionship; and those living in the
regions beyond do not know the extent of their losses.
But regular attendance upon Church courts is needful
for all. The money spent on the traveling fund is not
wasted.

II

The Minister Should Aim to he Present During the
Whole of the Sessions of the Court.

Murphy says : "Connected with this matter of at-
tendance is another which ought not to be passed over

242 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

without a word of notice; namely, that of staying to
the close of the sessions. This caution is rendered
necessary by the conduct of many who come in per-
haps after the opening services, and then, in an hour
or two, or at least long before the session's close, go
away and leave their brethren to finish the business
as best they can. They might almost as well not come
at all. The result of this habit is to leave the greater
part of the business to be hurried through at the close
by a mere handful of the members."
The following suggestions are made:

1. Never withdraw from a Church court without
leave of absence.

To do so is in violation of a specific law. Book of
Discipline, p. 130, Rule 46: "No member shall retire
from the judicatory without leave of the moderator;
or withdraw from it to return home without the con-
sent of the judicatory." A member may slip out with-
out being noticed by the moderator or by any member
of the court, but if he does he is in disorder.

2. Never, unnecessarily, ask to be excused.

Even if you are assured that the court will grant
your request, that does not justify your action. You
have solemnly vowed that you will attend to these
duties; do not break your vow, even by leave of the
court.

3. Never withdraw from a Church court in order
to show your dissatisfaction with its proceed-
ings.

One of our old ministers, now departed, was noted
for his practice of leaving Synod before the close of
its sessions. On one occasion he arose, as his custom
was, and asked to be allowed to return home. Being
asked to state his reasons he replied that he had rea-
sons "both positive and negative" for desiring to be
excused. The request was granted and he passed out.
Later, when asked what he meant by "positive" and

HIGHER CHURCH COURTS 243

"negative" reasons, he explained: '1 have an excel-
lent wife and children at home and I long to be with
them ; that is the positive reason ; I am disgusted with
the Synod, and want to get away ; that is the negative
reason."

Leaving a Church court for negative reasons is
wholly unwarranted. There are regular methods of
expressing your dissatisfaction with the course of pro-
cedure. In all but the supreme judicatory you can
protest and complain to the next superior court. And
in the highest court you can enter your dissent on the
records, with your reasons for it. But to express your
disapproval by withdrawing from the court is unjus-
tifiable in any ordinary circumstances, and is in its
nature revolutionary.

Ill

Every Minister Should Accept His Share of the
Onerous Labors of the Church Courts.

I. He should accept the position of an officer of
the court when duly called thereunto.

It is unseemly for a minister to seek his own pro-
motion, but to shirk all responsibility is unfaithfulness.
I recall a scene in our presbytery when a young minis-
ter was reelected clerk after having served one term.
In a very abrupt manner he resented it as an impo-
sition. Another was named for the place and he
peremptorily declared that he had served his term
and would not take it again. Another and yet another
were nominated with like result. Then the aged pas-
tor of the congregation where the court had met arose
and said that if all these young ministers regarded it
as such an imposition to be asked to keep the records,
he had several excellent old women in his congregation
that could do it very well and he would call in one
of them. There was no further declining.

244 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

The young minister should seek to acquaint himself
with the duties of the several offices, and then, when
duly called thereto, undertake the work cheerfully and
execute it faithfully. — Book of Discipline, pp. 121-130,
Rules.

2. He should not decline the chairmanship of im-
portant committees on account of the labor
involved.

There are certain regular committees in presbytery
and Synod that impose heavy tasks upon the chairman.
A new member naturally shrinks from this position.
There may be good reasons for one's declining, but
not simply on account of the labor. A young minister
might decline to act as chairman of the committee of
discipline if he knew that intricate cases or difficult
questions were to be referred to it immediately. So
with the committee of supplies, on account of his lack
of acquaintance with the congregations and mission
stations, or the laborers to be assigned; or the com-
mittee of finance, because of his ignorance of the finan-
cial operations and methods of the Church. In such
cases a young minister may ask to be relieved of the
chairmanship, though willing to serve in a subordinate
place on the committee. But he must not decline on
account of the labor; there is ample compensation in
the knowledge acquired by serving on such committees.

The duties of the chairman of a committee are :
(i) To take charge of all the papers or items
referred to his committee.

It is the duty of the assistant clerk to place these in
his hands ; but it is also his duty to look after them.

(2) To analyze the matters so as to be able to
submit them to the committee.

(3) To call the committee together for consul-
tation and to agree on the general terms of
the report on each item.

(4) To formulate, and to write out, the report.

HIGHER CHURCH COURTS 245

(5) To convene the committee to hear, amend,
and adopt the report.

(6) To submit the report to the court, and, if
necessary, to explain and defend it.

(7) He should be careful not to overlook the
elders on the committee.

3. He should not refuse duties because they are
in their nature unpleasant.

There are, occasionally, peculiarly unpleasant duties
to be performed. The faithful minister will not re-
fuse to act on account of their unpleasantness. Some
one must attend to them, and, if you refuse to bear
your share, it implies that you do not love your neigh-
bor as yourself.

Among the most common of the unpleasant duties
may be named :

(i) Commissions to investigate scandals, or
settle troubles, in congregations.

It is usually difficult to secure persons who are will-
ing to act on such commissions. The position is un-
desirable. Not all of the members are going to be
required to go into it. In these circumstances it is
unseemly for ministers to take very modest views of
their fitness to perform these duties. Such diffidence
carried to an extreme becomes a sin.

(2) Acting as prosecutor in cases of discipline.
When the court becomes the accuser, it is usual to

appoint one or more of the constituent members to
act as prosecutor. It is an unenviable position. The
person that fills it almost invariably incurs the tem-
porary displeasure of the accused party and his friends.
One may be called upon to prosecute a most intimate
personal friend.

(3) Defending the action of the lower court
before the higher court.

This is a peculiarly trying position, especially where
the matter involves personalities; and in trials for

246 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

heresy ; or involving questions on which the Church
is divided. The person selected in such cases to rep-
resent the inferior court, becomes, for the time being,
the target for the shots of the opposing forces ; and,
if vital issues are involved, the responsibility of the
position may be almost overwhelming. I can only say,
when such a duty is put to you, stand up to it. Do
not study how to evade it, but how to meet it. Such
duties demand high qualifications — such as :

a. Acquaintance with the doctrines, and pres-
byterial order of the Church. To be a good
presbyter the minister must be familiar with
the principles of Presbyterianism.

b. Independence of men, begotten by the true
fear of God. No one devoid of this quali-
fication should ever be appointed to deal
with serious cases of discipline; especially
where the faith and practice of the Church
are to be defended.

c. A peace-loving spirit. ''Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called the
children of God." I put this last because
this is the divine order: "First pure, then
peaceable."

The purity of the Church is more sacred than her
peace. One who w^ould flinch under fire and who
would sacrifice purity for the sake of peace has not
the highest qualifications for filling these difficult posi-
tions. At the same time it is essential that he be a
lover of peace. The man who eagerly accepts these
duties just because he delights in conflict, is one who
is eminently disqualified for their right discharge.

I therefore counsel these three things:

A. Cultivate those high qualities which are
necessary for the discharge of these diffi-
cult, important, and yet unpleasant duties.

B. Use every right endeavor to avoid the ne-

HIGHER CHURCH COURTS 247

cessity of their being performed by any
one.
C. When they become necessary and you are
lawfully called thereto, accept them as
from Christ, perform them in His fear,
and depend on His strength for success.

IV

The Minister Should Participate Actively in the Dis-
cussions and Decisions of the Judicatory.

It is a misfortune that the business of Church courts
is so largely transacted by a small minority of the
members.

1. Members should give constant attention to the
matters before the court.

It is often remarked to the discredit of our state
and national legislatures that the members manifest
the utmost indifference, even when matters of great
importance are pending. Such an attitude in Church
courts is inexcusable. It is very aggravating when
members engage in conversation or reading until a
motion is about to be put, and then spring to their
feet with : ''Mr. Moderator, please state the motion,"
or peremptorily : "I call for the reading of the paper."

2. A member should not speak unless he has some-
thing to say.

This certainly does not need to be argued, but ex-
perience proves that it does need to be said.

3. The converse of that is not true.

Even if you have something to say, it does not fol-
low that you should speak. If you have already
spoken on the subject, give others an opportunity.
Perhaps some one else will say it and make it unneces-
sary for you to rise a second time. It is particularly
offensive when a young minister, just after being ad-

248 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

mitted to the Church courts, assumes direction of the
business.

4. One should be deferential to the rights of others.
It is always becoming for a young member to yield

the floor to an aged member who may rise at the same
time with himself. The same is true when an elder
wishes to speak. It looks well for the minister, who
is a constituent member of the court, to give way to
the elder, who but seldom has the opportunity and
who usually is diffident about claiming the privilege.
It is in unusually bad taste for one who has spoken
several times on a motion to call out, ''Question, ques-
tion," when others who have not spoken at all are
desiring to be heard.

5. When one knows beforehand that he is likely
to speak, he should make careful preparation.

You will soon observe in Synod that there are a few
men who always receive careful attention and another
few who can scarcely obtain a respectful hearing. In
both instances it is a case of reaping what has been
sown. A deliberative body soon avenges itself on the
member who habitually delivers a harangue or a dia-
tribe in place of an address.

Dr. S. O. Wylie was noted for his ability to sway
the decisions of Synod. I have heard it affirmed that
one secret of his power was his skill in choosing his
time to speak. If he knew beforehand that important
subjects were to be discussed he prepared with great
care and then aimed to make the opening address. If
questions were sprung on him unawares he remained
silent, carefully noting the arguments on each side,
while he prepared himself to make the closing speech.

It is doubtful whether he was conscious of any such
deliberate plan, but his faithful attendance upon the
Church's interests and his wisdom and skill as a de-
bater resulted in such a command of his resources ;
and he always knew when to speak. There is a sug-

HIGHER CHURCH COURTS 249

gestive Scripture passage which may cross your minds
even when sitting in a church court : "O that ye
would akogether hold your peace! and it should be
your wisdom."

As a Presbyter, the Minister Should Keep Constantly
in Viezv the Great Interests of the Church and
Kingdom of God.

Our Church courts are too much occupied with
tedious discussions of comparatively insignificant mat-
ters. This is greatly to be deprecated. Presbyteries
and synods should give prominence to the following
subjects:

1. The promotion of Christian life and activity in
all our congregations.

This will lead to discussions on the state of religion ;
on the efficiency of the Sabbath-school work ; on the
proper direction and control of the various societies
and organizations of the church ; and to helpful con-
ferences on evangelistic work. In all these depart-
ments presbytery should exercise its supervision.

2. The cultivation of the territory over which the
presbytery extends.

fi) By nurturing the weak congregations.
This is too much overlooked. Feeble congregations
are left to themselves. Instead of asking for needed
supplies, they send requests for fewer appointments.
Too often presbytery permits them to pursue an en-
tirely mistaken policy of retrenchment, and they starve
themselves to death. Such congregations should be
the objects of constant solicitude.

(2) By keeping a constant outlook for new
localities.
Changes should all serve the Church. The develop-

250 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

ments in business create new centers of influence
where people congregate and should be cared for.
Presbyters should be alert and quick to discover the
new spiritual needs and to provide for them.

3. Faithful testimony against public sins and in
behalf of reforms.

The multiplication of reform societies outside of,
distinct from, and independent of, the Church, is a
reproof of Church judicatories for their neglect of
this important part of their work. It is my opinion
that such organizations should be in vital connection
with God's great redemptive agency, the Christian
Church. When Christians of different denominations
desire to unite and cooperate for reform, the organiza-
tion should be effected by the Church judicatories and
should report their work directly to such Church
courts.

VI

The Minister Should Carefully Maintain Christian
Deportment in the Courts of the Lord's House.

1. He should be reverential during seasons of
worship.

Things to be avoided are such as :

a. Absence during prayers constituting or ad-
journing the court;

b. Attending to matters of business during devo-
tional exercises ;

c. Retiring with committees during time set
apart for worship.

2. He should be dignified in speech and behavior.
Presbyters should walk worthy of Christ when they

are transacting business in His name. Let us bear
in mind the words of Paul the aged to his son Timo-
thy: "That thou mayest know how thou oughtest

HIGHER CHURCH COURTS 251

to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the
church of the Hving God, the pillar and ground of the
truth."— I Timothy iii, 15.

3. He should be courteous.

This is an ornament of grace to the minister of the
Gospel everywhere, and is nowhere more becoming
than in Church judicatories. Murphy speaks at
length on this subject and says: "We make this sub-
ject very emphatic because we feel that there is great
need for awakening special attention to it. Scenes
are sometimes witnessed in Church courts which are
a shame and a scandal to religion and which do incal-
culable harm." Young gentlemen, that is enough.

VII

General Remarks.

1. Always see to the regular and timely appoint-
ment of the elder who is to attend presbytery
or synod.

This appointment should be made long enough be-
forehand to enable him to fill the appointment without
unnecessary inconvenience.

2. See that the certificate of the delegate is regu-
larly made out and forwarded in due time.

Disregard of this rule on the part of pastors and
sessions causes a needless waste of time in making up
the roll. See Book of Discipline, p. 134, Form of
Certificate; p. 122, Rule 6, — very important.

3. Send in promptly your statistical reports, as re-
quired by the superior courts.

Carelessness on this point is the fruitful source of
many just complaints and censures on the part of
clerks of presbyteries. Let all things be done in time
as well as "decently and in order."

252 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

vni

Particular Comment on the Pastor's Relation to His
Presbytery.

I have reserved for this place of emphasis what I
have to say on a phase of our Church government
which has been overlooked. I refer to the duties
and the responsibilities of the presbyteries.

If the young ministers of ten consecutive classes
graduating from this seminary could be impressed with
a sense of the position of the presbytery in the Pres-
byterian order of government much would undoubt-
edly be done to restore to the presbyteries throughout
the Church that prestige which inheres in them essen-
tially ; and, as a natural result, the Synod would be
freed from much of that business and supervision and
deadening routine which stifle the spirit, shorten
the vision, and thwart the power of many of our
meetings of Synod. In the matter of Church govern-
ment, young gentlemen, what is wanting is more vim
in the presbyteries. And when the business there is
pressed with vigor, Synod will reflect the dignity and
peace of the Church's highest court.

That you may understand the importance of the
presbytery, let me read you Sections 3 and 4, Article
II, of the United Presbyterian Form of Government:

"The presbytery is the essential court of the Church
in administering its general order. ... It belongs to
the presbytery, by virtue of the official authority of its
members, to hear and issue complaints and appeals
from Church sessions, and references for advice or
adjudication; to admit and have the care of students
of theology ; to examine and license candidates for the
holy ministry ; to ordain, install, remove, and try min-
isters of the Gospel ; to examine and approve or can-

HIGHER CHURCH COURTS 253

sure the records of Church sessions ; to visit particular
churches for the purpose of inquiring into their state
and redressing evils which may have arisen in them ;
to organize, unite, or divide congregations; and, in
general, to order whatever pertains to the spiritual
welfare and prosperity of the churches under its care."

There is no doubt as to the scope of presbyterial
duties and authority. In a former lecture (First
Series, Lecture V) in treating of the ''Call to the Pas-
torate," reference was made to the authority of the
presbytery in this matter of the call. In order that
you may be fully cognizant of the relation that exists
between pastor and presbytery, let me quote from the
Book of Discipline: "Presbytery judges of the neces-
sity of removing a minister from one congregation to
another." (Page 108.) The United Presbyterian
Book is still more specific : "Presbytery constitutes
the relation of pastor and people, acting in the name
and by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
presbytery alone can dissolve it." Again, "If the
presbytery deem it for the good of the Church," a call
coming to a settled minister may be presented to him.
This, of course, implies that presbytery may refuse to
present the call, and this prerogative is frequently
exercised.

On the other hand, a minister cannot be removed
from one field to another without his own consent.^

1 As presb)rtery cannot constitute the relation without the
consent of the parties, neither can it dissolve it by a mere
exercise of authority. {Book of Discipline, pp. 108-9.) Both
the pastor and the congregation are entitled to be heard be-
fore a call from another congregation is presented to him.
Hence, in the case of a call on a settled pastor, the question
is always asked whether his present congregation has been
duly notified. The United Presbyterian Book requires that this
notification be read from the pulpit two weeks before the
meeting of presbytery at which the matter is to be heard. It
also provides that *'the presbytery shall always enter upon its

254 PASTOR AND CHURCH COURTS

This then sums up the relationship between a pastor
and his presbytery, and nicely exemplifies that fine
balance existing between the authority of the govern-
ment and the will of the governed, in a Presbyterian
form of government. Everything depends upon a
rigid adherence to the forms of procedure, and no-
where can this be accomplished so well as through the
presbyteries.

What is needed, then, is a live leader in every pres-
bytery throughout the Church. Not a busybody, but
a spirit-filled, devoted worker, one who has intelli-
gence enough to understand the prerogatives of Pres-
byterian government and tact enough to bend the wills
of the members to an orderly procedure in all the
minor business that comes to hand. And when the
presbyteries are conscientiously bearing the burden of
routine government, the meetings of Synod will be an
uplift and an inspiration to the whole Church.

God grant you, young men, a view of the majesty
of the court of God's house and give it you to serve
Him there with grace and with power.

minutes the reasons for translating a minister ; and, when the
act is likely to give much dissatisfaction to his people, a copy
of these reasons shall be sent to them by their commissioners."

END OF SECOND SERIES

THE THIRD SERIES

"The Covenanter Vision" will be divided into three
parts: (i) The Pastor in Relation to the Whole
Church and to the Kingdom of Christ; (2) The Pas-
tor in Relation to the World; (3) Distinctive Cove-
nanter Principles, or, Reasons for the Existence of
the Covenanter Church.

Included in this volume will be a sermon on Cove-
nanting, "The Covenanter Vision."

255